Night Traveler
by Skyfell
Summary: Operation Mix REVISED. Alternate reality setting. SenshiXShitennou tribute. Could be considered a rewriting of the Dark Kingdom arc. Both M.O. whisper stealth, both prefer secrecy and assign the other a face-value identity that would be unraveled as they are all entangled in a mess. Is "let it be" a good idea? [All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I own the plot only.]
1. Prologue

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Prologue_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> GMT +09:00, Tokyo, 09:55 p.m<em>

"It's time."

Mentally commanding herself while glancing at her wristwatch, the blonde carefully settled her glass down on the wooden dinner table, cautious not to make an unnecessary sound, and gathered up her belongings to leave without a trace.

There was not even that much to clean up to begin with. She had always packed light, and this time accompanying her in the continued journey there was only a purse large enough to contain a two-month-old golden retriever puppy.

Not that she had a habit of carrying dogs around in her purse, anyway.

_Sleep tight, dear.

She lightly brushed her roommate's copper hair as the girl stirred in her sleep. An empty glass was left forgotten on the carpeted floor, presumably it had fallen from the girl's hands as she fell asleep mid-drink; which the blonde picked up and placed over a newly written note on the table. They had only lived together for a while, yet she already found herself attached to the girl because of her cutting-edge honesty, a quality rarer than diamonds in their shared world of constant deceit.

"A girl like her shouldn't be here," the blonde thought to herself as she took her purse and headed for the main door.

Half an hour later, the copper-haired girl woke up to an empty room and a note sitting neatly on her dinner table, her blonde roommate nowhere in sight. Curious and worried, she removed the glass from its position atop the piece of paper, only to discover a thick envelope underneath it all.

"Copper-chan,

By the time you read this, I'm already off on my way. I have businesses I have to attend to, people I can't afford to miss out on, issues I have to deal with personally.

I'm sorry for leaving without saying a proper goodbye (and for putting you to sleep, in case you haven't noticed). I never told you this – the only thing I ever said about you was that you were annoyingly but refreshingly honest – but I'm glad I've had the opportunity to meet you. You're one of those people I'm actually glad having run into.

A few weeks ago you asked me how I would know if it came time for me to actually do something good with my life. I still don't have that answer for myself. But for you, take this advice: leave. This is not your world. I know you resent your stepfather, but don't make the mistake I've made – the very mistake that brought us together as friends.

Ironic, isn't it? But I'm in no position to lecture you. I'm not, just for the record. I'm pleading – yes, you read that right – _pleading_ with you to leave this cruel underworld. You don't belong here. Running away doesn't help, Copper. Face your problems head-on – and survive the encounter with it.

From someone who failed to face her problems once and has fallen too deep.

PS: Don't worry about whatever you find in that envelope. I don't care about them. I care more about you being happy, and living the life you deserve."

The girl dropped the letter, and it took her a while to open the envelope with still-shaking hands. As expected, it contained hard cash.

_Thank you... Minako.

* * *

><p><em> GMT +09:00, Tokyo, 10:00 p.m<em>

Leaning against a post in the empty parking lot, the blonde stole yet another slightly annoyed glance at her wristwatch.

The taxi was later than she requested. She had left the rooming house a little later than she planned to do, mainly because she wanted to make sure nothing was left behind that could identify her as a person. In _her_ line of work, anonymity is the name of the game.

She had expected a waiting driver, yet she arrived to the designated spot finding herself alone.

* * *

><p><em> GMT +09:00, Tokyo, 10:02 p.m<em>

He had known of her good looks from multiple sources, ranging from enchanted customers who spent hours describing a hour-glass figure while drooling rather unconsciously, to bewildered colleagues of his who had absolutely no idea how she managed to slip out of their fingers without a trace; nor were the latter able to explain the mysterious, unmistakably feminine scent that lingered in any space they stood in, whether during or long, long after their report was delivered. As he was speeding on his way toward the destination, silently cursing his watch for choosing such a great time to die, words streamed through his mind about her various areas of specialties and the counter-move for each and every one of them.

_No way I'm running more than ten minutes behind schedule,_ - he commanded himself, accelerating.

Three minutes later, he pulled into the almost empty parking lot, already spotting a blonde standing all by herself at the other end, near the back entrance to a city-famous restaurant, mostly for its seaside view. Even though it was a windy summer night, she was sporting a short-sleeve yellow blouse with silver strips, a pair of dark khaki, a violet-shaded scarf flowing on her shoulders, making perfect background for her golden hair. As he came closer, the general description "good looks" of hers occurred to him as less than an understatement. She had an elegant, aloof and almost _regal_ appearance, topping up by a sparkling crown-shaped bobby pin on the left side of her head.

He stepped off the vehicle, holding the door open for her in an apologetic gesture. He was five minutes late.

And she pointed that out for him before the standard apology could reach his lips:

_You're five minutes late, - she allowed him a brief glance at her watch, her eyes cold. I remember having specified that the taxi should pick me up exactly at ten o' clock tonight.

_My sincerest apology, miss.

He nodded curtly, taking note that her watch was a Cortébert digital, the production of which had – _should have_ – officially ceased back in the 70s. If his assessment was right – he was never the watch expert – that was one hell of a well-maintained antiquity.

She shrugged:

_No need to. No one can be punctual all his life. He himself may strive to be, but his clock may die whenever it feels like.

"That's a pretty good guess", he thought, smiling absent-mindedly and closing the door after making sure she had got seated properly. She indeed seemed friendly enough, but what he had read from the stacks of reports on his desk still reminded him of how _disastrous_ a brief encounter with her, especially her before retirement, could turn out to be. Still, he hoped this tiny chance could be the start of a decent conversation.

_Where could I possibly have seen him before?_, a concern flashed through her mind. That gentle smile looked familiar.

She had wanted to dismiss it as silly, for how many airlines she had used, how many parties she had been escorted to, how many hotels she had stayed at, to date, she could not even remember. A taxi driver could easily fit in that mist.

Still, there was something not quite right about this particular one.

Thus the ride proceeded in silence. Regretting not having made a conversational attempt right at her joke, and stumbling on the question of which approach would be the best, he decided to make up for his late arrival by speeding and succeeded in getting her to her destination five minutes before the estimate time. She looked a bit surprised, and the tip was more generous than his usual fifteen percent standard; _which could be a habit as well_, he thought in retrospect. Taking one last glance at the outrageously marvelous hotel, he pulled out of the driveway, heading to a nearby location where many yellow cabs as his concentrated.

He took out a black device and a pair of earphones, plugging them into his ears. A prolonged _beep!_ informed him that it was ready and functioning.

_Sir, - he spoke directly into thin air – I'm afraid I do not have good enough news to deliver.

_Proceed anyway.

He detailed his silent ride.

_Well well well, - the familiarly sarcastic voice chimed in – seems like our guy needs his social skills updated.

_And our genius needs the deafening sound of this device silenced – he continued unfazed, noticing a ruff voice in the background saying "Zoicite, mind your own business" and succeeding sounds of the usual verbal battle – Sir, what should my next move be?

_If the target is more likely to forget who you are, let her be. I'd arrange for you to be reassigned another time.

_Roger that, sir.

They both hung up. But the sound of his chief's words, _target_, lingered in his mind. Somehow he did not like it this time, although generally he preferred how his superior had always referred to the VIP in their plan as targets. The more impersonal the operation would be, the better.

* * *

><p><em> Back at the five-star hotel.<em>

The doorbell rang. The door opened, revealing a man in his bathrobe with an eager expression, his welcoming hand extended toward the blonde.

The door closed without a sound behind them.

_I always love the way you dress, Mina-chan, - he breathed, resting his chin on her left shoulder. You always look so different from the rest of them, don't you?

The blonde winked back:

_I love standing out.

_Sure you do, - he stepped ahead, pointing toward the nearby armchair, where a blood red gown lay.

_Oh, you noticed? - she laughed flirtatiously.

_Notice that you're different? Sure I do.

_No, that you yourself have a secretary complex, - she continued, gesturing toward her office blouse.

_What can I say? It's my job after all – he laughed along, opening his arms.

_Turn around, - she winked – don't ruin my little surprise for you.

_Oh? - the man laughed almost vulgarly, but complied.

The blonde raised her hand, a metallic device sparked on the tip of her fingers.

* * *

><p><em> Fifteen minutes later, on the hotel's rooftop.<em>

Having already accomplished her assigned task, the blonde lady was waiting for another, less ordinary ride to appear out of the midnight starry sky. She thought over the scene she had left behind, in that royal-style bedroom the naïve client had re-booked at her request. All was neat – no clue whatsoever could be traced to her real intention in appearing there, she was sure of it. At most, local authorities would merely attribute the case, like any other, to a high-profile recreational service gone wrong. And her client, being high-profile himself, would be far too embarrassed – terrified, even, if he discovered what she had done while he passed out from the impact of her sedative needle, in addition to messing up his belongings – to ever speak out.

The roaring sound of engines hovering above brought her back to reality, and she took hold of the helicopter rescue ladder, climbing her way to secrecy skillfully as if she had been subject to such unfeminine operations for a long time. As the saying went, practice made perfect.

_How was it?

The main pilot asked without turning around.

_Like a piece of cake, - she laughed softly, the first relief she had allowed herself in an entire day.

_You did not get the wrong file like you did last time, did you? This was sudden, I can't believe we didn't have time for a plan... I was so... - the co-pilot piped up, anxiety in her voice.

_No worries, it was a clean job – the blonde smiled. And... - she added - that last time was a century ago, - the blonde sighed dramatically, but her performance was cut off by her critic:

_It was three months, one week and two days ago, actually.

_Boy, I hate your flawless memories, - the former complained, snatching a water bottle from behind her own seat.

_Oh, by the way, - she added, putting the bottle back to its place – do we still have that signature bubble bath gel left?

_You mean the one from The Body Shop? - her critic answered – Half of it, but why?

_I need some major cleaning, - the blonde sighed. That fool landed his chin on my shoulder; I need that disgusting scent off me as soon as possible.

_It's more like cologne, though – her critic countered.

_Yeah, but his using it means it's already a stained brand – the blonde shook her head again in a melodramatic manner. You're turning into a workaholic, Ami-chan, testing perfume even on duty? How many times do we have to tell you that you're already a walking encyclopedia without your ability to distinguish strange scents?

The main pilot burst out laughing, they all could feel the co-pilot's face literally heating up as she explained:

_Er, old habits die hard I guess.

_Well, sounds like you need some refreshments – the blonde commented. How fitting; I happen to have a favor to ask, how about repaying you by a shopping trip? My treat.

_Spare me, - Ami sighed – I haven't quite recovered from the bikini frenzy last time.

_That's called trying them on, Ami-chan, I spelt it F.U.N., remember?

_Not to me – Ami mumbled.

_Oh, I'm getting a free deal then – the blonde laughed.

_Mina-chan!

The main pilot chuckled to herself,_ At least she acquired what we needed_ - she thought while monitoring the helicopter. Their five-member group works most efficiently with a mixed sense of responsibility and light-hearted humor. Perhaps that was why they were summoned upon this particular case.

~a~b~c~d~e~f~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~y~z~

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: Everyone, long time no see, eh? I've been overwhelmed recently, but I'm glad now my writer's block is almost over.**

**Anyway, this is the edited version of my old story, "Operation Mix". Enjoy!**

**Until my next update,**

**Chrys.**


	2. Coincidence

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Coincidence_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> GMT +09:00, Tokyo, 10:30 p.m<em>

With only a buzzing noise that nightlife Tokyo could easily drown out, courtesy of the genius co-pilot, the helicopter skillfully descended into a readily-opened rooftop of a high-rise apartment complex, its lights lowered to blend in perfectly with the midnight blue sky. Sightings of helicopters of course were common in the relatively affluent capital city; yet seemed quite uncommon at that time of the day, and the last thing an investigation team wanted was to unnecessarily call attention to themselves. If the truth behind this was any like what they had expected, the level of notoriety would be quite enough.

The rooftop closed without a sound. The next building to match its height was miles away, and the surrounding residences would just break their necks trying to find signs of a newly landed helicopter. Not that anyone would bother trying anyway, since as usual, nobody took notice. It was a perfect plan. Extraordinary incidents were too extraordinary to be proven – imagine a helicopter disappearing into the top of a high-rise apartment complex in the middle of crowded Tokyo – and thus their secrets were safe.

As usual, the unimaginable was the X factor; and having control over the X factor was decidedly an advantage.

The cabin doors slid open from both sides; and the blonde was the first to jump off from the left, followed by the petite co-pilot's descent on the right.

After double-checking the engine, the main pilot was the last to leave her beloved means of transportation. Her chocolate curls, previously hidden from view by the seat, bounced on her back as she jumped off on the left side and almost bumped into the blonde standing right in front of her.

_Jeez, Minako, you're gonna get knocked out if you keep standing that way.

She followed the blonde's longing glance all over the room.

_Glad to be home, aren't you?

The blonde simply nodded.

_Everyone! Mako-chan, Mina, where are you guys?

A happy voice called from the other side of the helicopter.

_Coming, - the blonde grinned and ran around to meet the caller, while the brunette main pilot just smiled.

Seeing two familiar blondes hugging each other tightly, she shook her head affectionately before enveloping both of them in a bear hug, her advantage coming from her own exceptional height.

_Mako-chan, you're suffocating me! - the other blonde whined.

_Oops, - the brunette said unapologetically, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she released them both.

The petite co-pilot, meanwhile, had removed her helmet, revealing her ocean blue hair, completed with deep blue eyes. Despite having been the first member to be inducted into the team, she was still not used to open display of affection, being the reserved character she was. She would, however, die for her teammates if need be.

The reservations vanished, nonetheless, as both blondes turned toward her with identical pouts.

_C'mon, Ami-chan, group hug!

Giving in, the bluenette named Ami walked toward them with open arms, a motherly smile on her face making quite a strange sight as it seemed so unfitting for a young woman her age.

_Where's Rei-chan? - the other blonde asked as they headed indoor together.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile.<em>

A silver Jaguar XJ220 slowly maneuvered its way through traffic, drawing admiring glances and curious attempts to peek into its windows as it stopped at the red light signal. The driver, a woman with waist-long ebony hair, had an aloof aura; yet the moment her eyes met those of an unwanted, peeking passerby, the latter quickly scurried away as quick as if he had just touched ice.

Ice indeed. Rei Hino was the defiant daughter of a famous politician, who despite repeated orders to essentially mold herself into a trophy bride, settled for a secretary job at one of the major multi-national corporations based in Tokyo; and when threatened with disavowal, revealed her personal saving account of stock investments over the years, proceeding to move out on her own into a shared penthouse with her childhood friend, who was then happily married to her university acquaintance Chiba Mamoru.

_Inherently distrustful of men, she was the ice queen in the office. Having the Chibas' backing, whose business outmatched several of the Japan-based national companies, nobody dared to even flirt with her; and she gave any who tried a cold shoulder._

_It was such a scandal a while back, when a cooperation plan between Mamoru's business and the multi-national company she was exchanged to, as a coordinator, fell apart. Allegedly, the mild-mannered Mamoru punched the head of the other corporation at a cocktail party for unknown reason – or undisclosed for that matter. She was subjected to nasty name-calling when she chose to remain working for the rival, a Jadeite Jefferson, citing the unfinished contract as the driving force for her decision. Ever since then, Mamoru reportedly never talked to his lady friend any more, even though she was seen shopping with his wife, the ever-lovely Usagi, several times a year._

_Many people criticized her of the perceived lack of gratitude, blaming the Chiba couple's separation on her "betrayal". Still others, most of them women having fallen for Jefferson's womanizing charm unreciprocated, accused her of backdoor affairs with her direct supervisor._

__ "Personal assistant"? - they often snickered. Maybe even _more_ personal than that._

_Being the illegitimate child of a renowned politician as she was, Rei Hino was seasoned to such rumors, all of which she responded to with a cold, piercing, confident gaze that sometimes sent chills down the spines of those who dared to whisper such things in her vicinity. When asked by tabloid newspapers about her boss, she remained cordial, knowing better than to give them basis for a sensationalist headline; but her cell phone knew better._

She eyed the ringing cell phone with disdain.

"One text message from PITA", the screen read.

Unknown to most, Jefferson's information was saved affectionately on her contact list as PITA, a.k.a. "pain in the ass".

_As if being nearly recognized by him wasn't enough, - she grumbled to herself, accelerating, recalling the chance meeting at the five-star hotel.

_Mission accomplished, Mina had left. She knew at least that much when she passed by the slightly ajar royal-style suite; stealing a glance at the mess inside and hearing the man's loud snoring, she walked on satisfactorily toward the elevator._

_Earlier, she had sneaked into the main control room at Ami's signal, erasing all surveillance data within fifteen minutes while all guards were knocked out with the special gas their genius prepared. Utilizing all herbal sources combined with advanced technology, the gas had short-term amnesiac by-products on whoever unfortunate enough to inhale it, plus its regular sedative effect._

_A perfect accomplice to their plan._

_Pressing the fancy button to the elevator, Rei Hino smirked to herself. The guards would remain knocked out for at least fifteen minutes more, and all surveillance cameras had been turned off, the tapes replaced by identical ones they stole a few days earlier._

_Nobody would identify her as an unusual redhead woman traveling up to the management level, especially when she walked past the reception as another, with obviously dyed platinum hair._

_Problem was, neither of those was her real hair color._

_The familiar "ding!" sound informed her that the elevator had arrived at that level. The metallic doors slowly opened, revealing a redhead in an extremely short skirt and fishnet stockings having trouble helping an athletic man standing up on his own feet._

_She walked in, playing oblivious to the scene before her, though her mind registered the other woman as Beryl, coordinator of another cooperation plan with Jefferson's corporation._

_Worse, they never quite got along at work or at social gatherings. One of Beryl's favorite pastimes, in fact, was to make snide remarks about Rei's upbringing. Fancying herself an upper-class lady, Beryl's behavior in fact illustrated that she was no more than a spoiled rich kid._

_Rei pressed the button for the garage level, sneaking a glance at the obviously drunken man._

_And held back a frown._

"_Jefferson?"_

_To top it all up, she realized to her dismay that the elevator was going in the opposite direction._

_Making quick calculations in her head, she refrained from a sigh of relief. All that just meant she would have to race out of the parking lot to avoid the reactivated surveillance cameras. No problem there, once the nuisance was out of sight._

_Suddenly Beryl lost her balance, probably due to holding a man twice her size while standing in high heels, and by some bizarre turn of events, Jefferson slid across the floor, hitting his forehead on Rei's side of the elevator._

_He looked up, rubbing his forehead, and gave her a drunken smile:_

__Hey there lovely._

_She just scowled back._

_He reached out toward her hands, which she stopped with a glare._

__Ooh, lovely temper._

_Jefferson frowned, alcohol invading his breath. Rei tried her best not to scrunch her nose._

__Reminding me of someone..._

_Her glare held firm, and she looked him dead in the eyes._

_A glimpse of recognition flashed._

_All was over in less than two minutes, the silent play ending with the elevator arriving at his – or Beryl's – chosen level in the hotel._

_The redhead re-took her charge._

_The doors closed again, and Rei took a sigh of relief._

_Something still bothered her._

_His eyes._

_Jefferson did not look as drunk as his posture projected._

Rei did not even bother to open the text message as she headed toward the high-rise apartment complex she knew her teammates had most likely arrived at about ten minutes ago.

* * *

><p><em>Back at the five-star hotel.<em>

_Good night, Jadeite.

Beryl's sultry voice left the room with the sound of the front door being closed.

Jadeite's eyes snapped open.

"Man, that woman's insistent indeed", he thought to himself, reaching toward the cell phone left forgotten on the night stand.

He had texted Rei earlier when he was in the washroom, away from Beryl's watchful eyes.

No reply yet.

Being the impatient boss he was, Jadeite dialed the number.

* * *

><p><em>Ten minutes away from the apartment complex.<em>

_What now? - Rei asked out loud to no one in particular when she noticed "PITA" calling.

Still, she could not decline her boss' call. They both knew that. And she was annoyed precisely because of that.

_Good evening, Rei speaking, how may I help you sir?

_You never responded to my text.

_Sorry sir, I didn't notice, - she lied without a second thought.

"He does sound drunk" was her remark to herself.

_Sooo... - he drawled – what's up tonight?

_I'm certain my personal plan is in no way related to the workplace sir.

_Aww, you're no fun.

_Is there anything I can help you with sir?

_I'm drunk. Very drunk. Very very drunk.

"As if I don't know that", she grumbled inwardly.

_Can you come pick me up?

_I'm sorry?

_Can you come pick me up? I'm completely wasted.

_I have to say sir, you don't sound that way to me. And I'm certain "picking up your drunk boss" is not on the job description or my contract.

_It will be there tomorrow if need be.

_I apologize sir, I'm in a hurry right now and even if I wasn't, I would not comply against my legal agreement in being your personal assistant. Excuse me.

She hung up, annoyed, knowing he would likely mock her about it the next day as always.

Jefferson stared at his cell phone, his mind drifting back to the brief encounter in the elevator. Unless Rei had a long-lost twin, that redhead definitely looked like a disguised her.

"Are you what I think you are, Rei?", he wondered to himself.

* * *

><p><em>At the penthouse atop the high-rise apartment complex.<em>

_I'm hungry now, - Usagi whined, her sing-song voice rang from the living room to the kitchen where Ami was standing.

The petite bluenette was the last to step out, and the most careful one to double-check that the button to operate their helicopter storage was safely hidden behind a small shelf of kitchen towels. Their own fingerprints were the only access. "Maybe that's why no one took notice", she remarked to herself, contented with the little trick. When activated, the so-called vanity mirror in their kitchen slid aside without a sound, opening up space for entry; when deactivated, the whole area just looked plainly vain for having an extra mirror in the most unlikely of all places. Not that they would have visitors nosy enough – or vain enough, for that matter – to attempt to pull closer such an installed mirror, anyway.

She joined the others at their living room overlooking Tokyo, noticing that Usagi's childish behaviors had stepped aside for her command mode. It was one of those things she admired in one of her best friends, and probably a trait adored by others as well: her ability to stay the same, true to who she was inside, while still keeping her head up whenever needed. In contrast to Mina's icy façade, Makoto's consistent bugger-off appearance, Rei's diplomatic mask and her own inquisitive silence, Usagi seemed the most unaffected by life's ups and downs, someone who would laugh under the piercing sunlight and still dance if the rain came pouring down right after that.

Ami snapped out of her usual philosophical moment when Mina took out the USB disguised as a shiny bobby pin on the front of her hair. It still amazed her how her teammate could wear such a heavy object, not in a literal sense, but which carried enough information to be confiscated at any high-tech checkpoint; and move around freely as if she never felt weighed down by responsibilities upon her shoulders. Ami knew her friend and teammate was burdened by duty, duty Mina felt she had to carry out smoothly in compensation for her past.

In fact, they all were – otherwise they would still be carefree souls without a moment of worry in the world.

Connecting the device to her laptop and projecting the images onto the projector screen, Usagi gestured toward the clock on her nearby table:

_According to what we've collected so far, the transaction would be taking place three evenings from now at the harbor they've used in the past.

_Fools, - Makoto commented harshly – they should have known better by now, after all we've busted them... how many times again?

Automatically, Ami opened her mouth with the answer ready; but Usagi waved her off:

_Thanks Ami-chan...

She was cut off by Mina, the latter's facial expression a little thoughtful and curious at the same time.

_Why a harbor, though? I mean, apart from the crap about darkness and deep water being _their_ allies, why do they always carry that out in the open? What if it rains?

_Jeez, Mina, - Makoto grinned – we're never gonna finish the briefings at this rate. But after all, that transaction is your duty; feel free to reflect upon it – she ended her sentence with a wink.

Mina pouted, but asked hopefully anyway:

_If the duty's already assigned to me, can we party the night away when Rei's back, then?

_I have an assignment due in two days' time, - Ami protested.

_Meaning you have one day and a half left to complete it, - a voice rang out from the entrance to their living room, and the poor protester turned around to see a raven-haired lady in her most intimidating posture.

_Or you can study after we've all crashed the couch, - Usagi suggested, a mischievous spark in her blue eyes.

Ami sighed.

_Oh, did you have enough time to stop by the convenience store, Rei-chan? - Usagi turned to the last teammate to arrive at their shared space.

_No, - Rei shook her head. I almost got caught by PITA.

_Pita... oh, you mean _him_?

_Yeah, the pain in the ass of a boss.

_What do you mean, "almost got caught"?

_Ran into him and Beryl in the elevator.

Makoto's eyes darkened. She met the woman once, randomly on the street, and came home with a coffee-soaked t-shirt and a flaring temper, barely contained.

_I've never liked her.

_Me neither, - Rei shrugged. I'll fill you all in later. Now who's gonna get the popcorn?

_Ask Mina, - Makoto grinned.

_Yeah, ask our generous Mina-chan, - Usagi flashed an identical grin.

_Why me? - the blonde whined.

_Uh... according to the calendar it's your turn Mina, - Ami timidly chimed in.

_That counts as bullying, everyone, - she continued while already making her way toward her private quarter to change into new clothes.

_And yet you obliged.

Mina glared at Rei, who met her gaze squarely as if she had not made the sarcastic remark.

As Ami once explained, constantly being at each other's throat is the only way those two could feel comfortable showing they cared.

_Be right back!

* * *

><p><em>In front of the apartment complex.<em>

The silver-haired cab driver stared into his rear view mirror. He had not expected to see her again so soon, only a couple of hours after their parting at the five-star hotel.

She walked straight to his parked vehicle, knocking on the window.

_Hey, do you mind taking me to a convenience store real quick? I'll pay for the round trip fare.

Mina said it all in one breath, only to notice the familiar hair color under the street light as he stepped out to hold the door for her.

_It's you again, - she remarked as he started the engine.

_Nice to see you again, miss...

_Call me V.

_Is that shortened for something? - he inquired, sounding as innocently curious as possible. "She went by the same alias among her clients", he thought to himself.

_Just a nickname.

"Street name", she corrected herself mentally.

_And your name is...?

_Call me Kale.

_Nice meeting you, Kale.

_Nice meeting you... uh, V.

_Yeah, - she laughed suddenly – miss V. has a funny ring to it.

Her laughter tinkled in his ears long after she changed the conversation topic to weather forecast.

All the while, a thought was nagging at the back of her head.

"Where could I have possibly seen him before?"

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~y~z~<p>

**A/N: As mentioned in the previous chapter, this is the edited version of my old story, "Operation Mix". Enjoy!**

**Also, my thanks to MenaHennah for adding this to the Favorite Story list; and to Ebony Mitsu for adding this to the Alert list. To everyone else, thanks for reading.**

**Until my next update,**

**Chrys.**


	3. Lead

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Lead_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> In the meantime, back at the five-star hotel.<em>

The man stirred in his deep sleep, slightly shivering from the cold midnight breeze coming in through the ajar sliding door to the balcony. All lights were off in the royal suite, save for a desk lamp blazing on the night stand next to his bed and the moonlight coming in from outside.

The hotel was overflowing, guards were back at their assigned posts with no recollection whatsoever of themselves being knocked out by some mysterious gas and a slender woman with obviously dyed silver hair.

Science had worked its magic at the command of a certain bluenette.

The hotel was buzzing with people departing and arriving, yet no one took notice of a shadow landing on the balcony of the royal suite in which the man was sleeping, nor did anybody recognize the shape of a climbing anchor hung loosely on the railing as the stranger slid inside without a sound.

Eying the sleeping man with disdain, the stranger rose to his full height. He was an athletic-looking young guy with short silver hair and eyes so cold it seemed possible to freeze almost anything with a glance.

"Pig", he muttered to himself, scanning in the messy room and especially the opened suitcases lying about on the floor.

He frowned.

Something was amiss.

Within seconds he was at the sleeping man's bedside, and without hesitation he yanked the latter's ear.

_Get up or die, - he hissed, and his prey's eyes snapped open.

_What the... Mister Voxley? What are you doing here?

_I'm doing what I plan to do, according to our agreement, - the silver-haired man continued to hiss. What I would like to know, - his voice took on a threatening undertone – is why your room looked like it had just been robbed.

The other man shot up from the bed so fast he yanked himself out of Voxley's grasp. Rubbing the slightly swollen ear, he took in the sight of his messed-up room and almost immediately paled.

_No way.

_Yes way, - Voxley's face was inches away from the other man's, his eyes took on a hypnotic appearance. Now explain.

The other man blinked a few times, an action he began to regret at once as he opened his eyes to a gun held to his forehead.

_Please... - he began to shake – please, mister Voxley, I can explain... Just please... please put that away.

_Quite the coward aren't you, - Voxley remarked coldly, but lowered the gun nonetheless, resting the barrel at the other man's chin.

_Better?

_Y... yes.

_Talk.

_I planned to meet her tonight at 10:15 pm, - he began.

_ "Planned to"? - Voxley's icy gaze did not leave his prey for even a moment - You mean she bailed?

The man shivered at the inanimate feeling of metal in uninterrupted contact with his bare skin and shook his head in clarification:

_No, she did show up, in a sunshine-silver blouse with violet-shaded scarf, and I did invite her in, but after that...

_Did you offer her the glass of wine as planned?

_I didn't have a chance to.

_Details.

_We exchanged pleasantries, you know, the usual, I was trying to get her relaxed. She flirted with me in response, and told me to turn around as she had a surprise in store for me, so...

_So you were stupid enough to oblige?

The barrel seemed to have worked its way quickly up to the other man's temple, and Voxley noted with sadistic satisfaction that his prey was sweating pretty badly.

_Y... yes. I thought it was an innocent request, mister Voxley, I thought after showing me whatever surprise she had in store for me I would score an opportunity to drug her by the glass of wine I had prepared beforehand, I really thought I was having an advantage, sir, I really didn't mean to screw up...

_So says every other idiot, - Voxley narrowed his eyes. Shut up now before I blow your brains out.

The other man complied, and could not help letting out a huge sigh of relief as Voxley withdrew the gun without pulling the trigger.

_She didn't touch anything here did she? - he approached the blood red night gown lying forgotten on the armchair.

"Terrible taste", Voxley thought to himself as he inspected the gown. Not even a wrinkle was found in place, meaning their target did not even bother with holding it up to her body just to visualize how she would look in it.

He could not help a smirk. Mina had always been known for her impeccable taste in fashion; and he knew for a fact that she would never feel attracted in the slightest to a color contrasting so ridiculously striking with her golden hair.

Still, he needed at least a fingerprint, if not the target herself; and neither of those seemed to be on scene.

Voxley took another glance at the scavenged suitcase.

_Is... is there something I could do for you, sir? - the other man could not help trembling as he interrupted his silver-haired accomplice's train of thought.

_Was your suitcase opened before or _after_ Mina came in?

_I... I'm sorry?

The stuttering and idiotic attempt at delay were precisely the unspoken answer that Voxley was waiting for.

In one swift movement, he turned, his short silver hair shone in catching a streak of moonlight as the shot rang out.

A gentle breeze cooled the still-smoking barrel, and Voxley approached the bed where the other man lay emotionless.

_Useless pig, - he muttered as he inspected the bullet hole driven through the top of the wooden queen-sized bed.

A movement outside the balcony reached his ears, and without turning around to verify he coldly greeted:

_Beryl.

_Ace, - the redhead that Rei had run into earlier in the hotel's elevator emerged through the sliding door spoke in response.

_Voxley, - the silver-haired man corrected.

_Alright, Voxley, then. I forgot we're on scene. Hey, - she said, slight concern in her voice as she approached the bed – you didn't kill him did you?

_No, the pig fainted as I fired the warning shot, - Voxley, or Ace as he was referred to seconds earlier, answered, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice as he glanced at his prey another time.

_So we couldn't get a hold of Mina-_chan_ this time?

Beryl's voice took on a sarcastic note.

_She knocked him out and escaped. With some of our data, it seems. I haven't looked into that yet.

_From where?

_The suitcase, it seems. One of the most stupid places to store sensitive data.

_Must have been bloating in his perceived sense of power, eh? Top secretary to one of those oil tycoons... hmm, I don't see anything boast-worthy about that.

_I take pride in _not_ understanding him and his kind, - Voxley/Ace remarked coldly, proceeding to scan the night stand with his watch, which at the time was emitting a greenish beam of light.

_I don't think she even bothered to approach his bedside yet, - Beryl shook her head, turning toward the suitcase.

_Just in case. Check that suitcase carefully, will you? It's highly unlikely she left a fingerprint, but very likely that she took off with sensitive data; and I'd _love_ to know exactly how sensitive those stolen info are so I could _properly_ punish the pig.

Fighting back the urges to shudder at the sudden sinister undertone in Voxley/Ace's voice, Beryl knelt down to inspect the widely opened suitcase and hid her face from her partner in crime in the process.

Having worked alongside a psychopath for years did not mean one could get used to said psychopath's constantly changing emotional undercurrent.

_If I recall correctly, - she spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence – he carried information about our next trade appointment.

_Look for that.

"As expected", Voxley thought to himself when his on-scene analysis revealed no fingerprint whatsoever left on any object on the night stand, or the wooden surface itself for that matter.

Just his style.

Years ago, he knew he had trained Mina well.

* * *

><p><em>Back at the front of the apartment building.<em>

_Thanks a lot for the ride, - Mina jumped off the cab, leaning in just to smile at the silver-haired driver, or Ken as he called himself.

_Just doing my...

She cut off his automatic response:

_Oh, don't be a downer will you? I know I paid you for the ride; still, don't you dare deny that you enjoyed my company.

She grinned mischievously at him, and Ken found himself smiling in response, which later he would try to justify to himself as a mere psychological reaction she brought out in him, one that he had no control over.

They made direct eye contact for the first time, still smiling, instead of a brief glance at the rear-view mirror or a casual once-over.

"Where could I have possibly seen him before?", the concern that was drowned out during her time in his company instantly came back nagging at the back of her head.

Kale was struck by a sense of familiarity that had nothing to do with his time spent reading investigation files about her.

_Snap, my friends must be starving and wanting to strangle me now, - she half-whined, waving to him and turned toward the door.

_Have a nice evening, - he nodded.

For some reason he felt a strange sense of longing as she disappeared from view.

As usual, however, his sense of duty took over and he quickly reversed out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Scanning the hotel suite another time with his eyes, VoxleyAce shook his head in mild amusement. He knew he had trained Mina well, yet their partnership ended before she could master the transferred skills. He had ended it himself after all. And even if he had not, it was against his basic survival sense to teach another his best moves, no matter how devoted the person in question was to him.

Which means after inducting her into their team, "4" had elevated her to the elite level by personalized intensive training.

The phoenix he himself attempted to destroy had raised from the ashes.

And from her contribution, "5" was born.

_Everything is still intact, including the code, - Beryl concluded, closing the suitcase.

_It's highly unlikely she left without taking anything, - Voxley turned, leaned down a little to look his partner-in-crime dead in the eyes – are you certain nothing turned up missing?

_Yes, - Beryl replied, meeting his gaze squarely. Years of working with him had taught her to never show fear.

Voxley gave her a small smirk and a nod of approval. He knew, ever since he recruited her, that the redhead was tough enough, or at least projecting a similar aura.

He hated dealing with hysterical antics.

_Take that useless pig with us, then.

Beryl glanced at the sleeping man in disgust.

_If I wasn't on duty...

_I'm wishing the same thing, Beryl. Remember that last time you met him awake? He nearly melted onto the floor upon seeing your strapless gown.

In a matter of seconds, Voxley had approached her before she even noticed; his arms slid around her waist.

_Believe me, I was _so_ mad back then.

_Sure you were.

Beryl did not bother to wrench herself out of his grasp. The so-called display of affection would pass as quickly as it came. There had been a kind of cat-and-mouse game going on between them ever since he recruited her; but she knew behind the sugar-coated words lay a trap.

The physical attraction was present, but Beryl was not about to fall for a psychopath's charms.

She never met Mina, the woman their boss was trying so hard to hunt down, yet she knew that because the blonde gave in to Voxley/Ace too soon and too whole-heartedly, her demise came earlier than expected.

The redhead glanced around the room one more time and was just about to call for backup when she noticed a neatly folded laptop on the adjacent desk.

_Voxley, - she said, gesturing with a gentle shake of her head; and still trapped in that embrace, they moved forward, strangely in tune with each other.

_You don't mean...

Voxley had noticed the object of inspection.

_Yeah, - Beryl nodded, placing her hand inches above the laptop.

Faint heat was still emitting from it.

_This had been used over the last hour.

_Good observation.

Perhaps as an odd sort of compliment, Voxley placed a seemingly passionate kiss on Beryl's neck before taking hold of the laptop.

Beryl did not respond, acting as if nothing had just happened; but inside she was puzzled, to say the least. Sure, they had been flirting back and forth before; yet Voxley never bothered to cross the boundaries.

Something was off.

She stole a glance at her partner-in-crime, noting a strange glaze of nostalgia in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by a predatory gleam.

Realization came to her as quickly as tidal waves hitting the shore in a storm.

Mina had not only been Voxley/Ace's apprentice: they had also been lovers before the latter decided to forcefully ended the partnership.

"Typical psychopath", Beryl thought to herself as she duly noted how the man was turned on by the idea of hunting his ex down.

* * *

><p>_Everyone, I'm back!<p>

Rei looked up from her cell phone, one eyebrow raised.

_Did you just raid the poor convenience store?

_I'm done raiding an hour ago, - Mina pouted, putting down the countless bags of groceries she was carrying. Indeed there was more than enough for five people – enough to deplete the stocks of a regular 7-Eleven.

_Just you here? - the blonde piped up from the kitchen door after unloading and shelving all the snacks, tossing Rei a bag of jalapeño chips in the process.

_The others are with Ami data analyzing.

_Jeez, wasn't it supposed to be a party when I get back?

Mina threw herself onto the opposite couch and began munching on her own snack.

It had been a long day, and even a longer period during which she had gone undercover in the sex trade.

She had no idea the day, or rather, the tiring night, was about to stretch itself.

* * *

><p>_Wh... what just h... happened?<p>

_You coward ass fainted by a warning shot, - Beryl replied, not even bothering to spare a look at the man who had fallen for Mina's charms.

Suddenly the redhead turned away from the laptop Voxley/Ace was working on and headed for the bed, her hips swaying seductively. The man looked on, hypnotized by her movement, until his trance was broken by a blade to his throat.

_Wh... what is that? Why is it such a weird color?

Beryl glanced down at her weapon briefly.

_Did you just call my favorite color "weird"?

_N... no, of course not, madam, what I meant was... metal... Metal is usually not purple... is that toxic-coated?

_Would you _really_ want to know?, she drawled, pressing the tip of the blade to the base of his throat.

Blood began to trickle down.

_N... no. No, please, no!

With one twist of the blade, a circle was marked off his exposed neck; and before the prey could scream, the redhead silenced him by placing it over his mouth.

_One vowel and the pleasure of lip-sucking would be lost from you forever.

His eyes widened.

_That – she traced her long fingernails on the fresh, shallow wound – is for refusing to take a clue the other night.

_Nothing. _Nothing_!

Alarmed by her partner-in-crime's exasperated tone, Beryl turned to him, her blade holding steadfastly over the other man's lips.

_Come again?

_No trace whatsoever. _No trace_!

Beryl held back a shudder as she recognized the building anger in Voxley's eyes, coupled with something darker she herself dared not name.

In an instant she was by his side, her left hand placing warily on his shoulders.

_Voxley, - she swallowed the lump rising in her throat, trying her best not to flinch as her eyes caught the beastly sadism flashing by his green pupils.

_Voxley, - she repeated, applying a little more pressure onto his shoulder.

Her partner-in-crime turned to look at her, his glance contained a kind of wildness she had never seen... unless Mina was mentioned.

The Mina whose life Voxley attempted to end... and who escaped physically unscathed. Hell, even her knee-length silver-blonde hair was intact, or so they heard.

_Ace, - she tiptoed, speaking into his ears through gritted teeth.

For some reason, that seemed to have the desired effect: Voxley/Ace calmed down; however his eyes were still burning as he glared at the other man cowering on the bed.

_Mister Voxley... - their prey stuttered – I swear I really did try, I swear I did!

_She introduced herself to you as Mina?

Beryl suddenly spoke up, her eyes narrowing.

_I'm sor...? Yes! Yes! _Mina-chan, call me that_; that's what she said.

_Surely that's not because you happen to speak some parody of Japanese, - her eyes continued to shoot daggers at him, while her hand was still placed on Voxley's shoulders to keep him in check.

By now anything could send him overboard; years of experience had taught Beryl about Voxley/Ace's tolerance. Especially when they had been so certain this time: Mina had even gave her real name to the client, which initially they attributed to an attempt of hers to get into the man's favor.

Mina-chan surely sounded far lovelier than _V_.

_You met her at a karaoke, you said? - Beryl continued her interrogation.

_Yes, along with another short-haired brunette.

Voxley's eyes lit up like wolves' in a night hunt.

* * *

><p><em>Fifteen minutes past midnight, at the apartment complex.<em>

_I'm tired.

_I'm far more tired.

_I'm far far more tired.

_I'm exhausted.

_I don't have enough energy left to think of an adjective describing how I'm feeling.

_Yet, Ami-chan, - Makoto grinned – your line is longer than most of ours combined.

_Okay, reset! - Mina cut in happily.

_C'mon everyone, do we _really_ have to do this just to see who would do the dishes?

_Yes we do, - Rei shrugged – because you didn't want the task even though it's your turn, Usagi.

_Fine, - the blonde pouted.

_Hmm, let's see... I'm...

Mina was cut off by the blazing ringtone from her pocket.

Everyone went silent, the usual stance they adopted whenever someone's phone rang.

Eying the display screen, the blonde frowned and placed her fingertip on her lips before hitting the answer button.

_Copper-chan? What's the mat... - she was cut short by her former roommate's loud sobbing.

_Copper-chan?

At Usagi's frown of confusion, Ami quickly scribbled on a piece of napkin and tossed it onto her lap.

"Mina's friend when she went undercover".

_Copper-chan, what's wrong? How did you get back my number?

_You have _me_ to thank for that.

Chills ran down Mina's spine as soon as she heard the all-too-familiar male voice on the other line.

Hitting the speaker button, she tried to hold the cell phone as far from her as possible.

_What's wrong, Mina-honey? Don't recognize my voice? - the icy tone began to taunt her, unaware that the entire room was listening in with baited breath.

Mina forced out:

_... Hello... Vox... - her direction changed as soon as she heard him tsking – I mean... Hi again... _Ace_.

* * *

><p>The on-site residential assistant did not even have time to greet the blonde as she dashed down the stairs, her odangos bouncing on her head.<p>

She ran for about two blocks when a blue Berlinette with tinted glass screeched to full stop right in front of her, and within seconds the streets again became deserted.

From the other side of that road, a red sports car rolled down its window.

_Chief, - the auburn-haired man continued to speak into his headset – she just got picked up for whatever reason on a blue Berlinette.

_A... _what_?

The other line reeked of confusion.

_An Alpine A110, sports car, color blue, sir, - he clarified, slightly annoyed. Eh? Alright, you got it, sir.

He reversed, and proceeded to head in the direction the other car just disappeared into.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere on a roadside.<em>

_Kunzite speaking. Excuse me? Alright, send me the location.

The white-haired cab driver quickly started his vehicle, and drove into the night.

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z<p>

**A/N:**** Hello again, everyone! Happy Fourth of July for those of you residing in the States/getting today off; and happy belated Canada Day for those in my region!**

**Anyway, as mentioned in the previous chapters, this is the edited version of my old story, "Operation Mix". Enjoy! And just let me know if any part (that is NOT relevant to the storyline development) isn't clear, I'll be happy to resolve it.  
><strong>

**Also, my thanks to Ebony Mitsu for the lovely comment (I fixed the typo!), as well as Whitewolf513 and Pinka for adding this to their Favorite Story list. To everyone else, thanks for reading.**

**Until my next update,**

**Chrys.**


	4. Race

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Race_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em>In the blue Berlinette.<em>

Resting her head on the rear window, the blonde eyed Tokyo by night with faraway eyes.

_"Copper-chan..."_

__I've never told anyone this story, - the short-haired girl shook her head, reaching for another cigarette from her companion's front pocket, but was stopped mid-way._

__Trust me, - the accompanying blonde shook her head – if you haven't smoked before, taking up chain smoking all of a sudden ain't such a good idea._

__But Mina..._

__No _buts_, - the blonde called Mina shook her head firmly, but could not help chuckling a little at the copper-haired girl's pout. It reminded her so much of a close friend of hers, one whose side she had to leave in order to infiltrate this world, a world she wanted nothing to do with._

_Rei was originally intended for this task, but the raven-haired girl flatly refused on grounds that she could not live a double life with that annoying boss of her following her every step, for whatever reason._

_Everyone knew another reason, though unstated, for Rei's refusal; and Mina could not help volunteering, citing her thirst for adventure and excitement as justifications._

_Deep down, however, everyone also knew the real reason the blonde threw herself into tasks after tasks: aside from being driven by a desire to atone her past, she did not want Rei to re-live the hell so reminiscent of her childhood, the hell she herself was currently in._

_She stepped into this world expecting nothing but the worst from people, as she had always done; yet unexpectedly found a golden heart._

__Mina..._

__I said no cigarette, - the blonde turned sideways to look at her copper-haired companion, her gaze firm as that of a blood sister's._

__Nope, - the short-haired girl pouted again – I meant to say I wanted to go inside, it's getting cold._

__Then be my guest._

__But I don't know how to tell off people... yet, - the short-haired girl pouted at Mina's challenging look._

__Keep in mind ignoring someone is in itself an action, - the blonde smiled._

__Yeah, an action which many took to mean "I'm yours if you're insistent enough", - the copper-haired girl snickered._

__Alright, let's..._

_Mina's gaze suddenly caught the sight of a black car so familiar with her turning around the street corner._

"_That has to be it", her eyes slightly widened with surprise. Countless nights she had gone to bed with the exterior of that car so well-studied it was almost burned into her mind like hot iron._

"_But he's not supposed to... oh crap," - the call she had to miss earlier because Copper-chan was crying on her shoulder silently, the call of which she felt the vibration but could not pick up because she was in mixed company; both of those missed calls had to be from her __teammates, frantically trying to reach her._

__Copper, - she smiled at her companion – I have somewhere to go; do you mind leaving by yourself?_

_She knew the car was approaching, she could not risk having Copper seen with her; the girl was innocent._

_The short-haired girl was prepared to protest, but her gaze met Mina's, and even though she did not understand much, she understood well enough to simply nod and walk away._

_Mina held in a sigh of relief, quickly checked her hair by the reflection on a nearby store window, and walked back into the karaoke._

* * *

><p>The sound of snapping fingers, obviously intended to catch her attention, woke the blonde from her musings.<p>

_Finally, - the driving brunette let out a dramatic sigh – just when I thought my fingers were going to break.

_What for? - the blonde stuck her tongue out at her chauffeur.

_Catch, - hitting the brake to stop at a red light, the brunette threw a squared device over her shoulders, aiming for the back seat. Her companion caught it easily.

_Is it me or you actually aimed for my forehead? - she complained, but her face had lit up a little, having noticed what the device was.

_Wasn't me, there's no way I'm gonna ruin Ami's minute disguise. And you too, stop tugging at those odangos, they'll fall off in no time from the looks of it and neither I nor you are an expert at that.

Stopping at another red light, the brunette shook her curly ponytail at her companion, whose sight was now fixed onto the device screen.

_It's not your fault, _Mina_ – she said quietly.

The blonde looked up, a grateful expression on her face.

Catching that look, the brunette nodded in satisfaction and was about to accelerate when her perceptive eyes took notice of a red flash in the sideview mirror.

A bright red sports car raced by.

"Eyesore", - muttering, she reversed.

* * *

><p><em>In the unmarked sports car.<em>

_Oh no, you're not doing that to me, - the auburn-haired man eyed the blue Berlinette speeding away as reflected in his rearview mirror – Not on my watch.

He reversed as well.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, at the rooming house Minako used to stay at during her undercover time in the sex trade.<em>

_So... what's your name?

Tracing his pale fingers along the short-haired brunette's chin, Ace repeated his question for the millionth time, his eyes glowing in a cruel light.

_I told you already. They call me Copper.

_We aren't deaf you know, - Beryl shrugged, bored, and continued to examine her long red fingernails.

_Yes darling, we've already decided the nickname must have come from your hair color, - Ace smiled while tightening his grip, his hands having slipped from her chin to her throat; and in one moment the girl thought she saw death flashing in front of her eyes.

_C... Copper, - she choked out.

_Hey, don't strangle the poor rat, at least she has a backbone it seems, - Beryl gave a curt laughter.

Ace released the short-haired brunette, whose hands instantly flew to her own throat, coughing uncontrollably, but in her attempt to recover somehow she still managed to fiercely glare at her captors.

_I like her, - he stated, and the redhead glanced at him, surprise flashed through her posture, but her boredom resumed as she noticed the apathetic gleam in his eyes.

Voxley/Ace just acquired a new mind to mess around with.

In a darker corner of the same room sat the businessman, apparently having recovered from his fear of having been knocked out twice in one night, both of which conducted with little effort.

Glaring daggers at the silver-haired man and his redhead partner-in-crime, he reached for the handheld device tucked away safely in his back pocket, punching in three digits that any ordinary, law-abiding citizen would refer to in cases of unlawful confinement with a weapon.

_1-1-0_.

* * *

><p><em>Twenty minutes to the arranged meeting time.<em>

_Oh hell, - Makoto eyed the rearview mirror for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

_What is it? - Mina looked up sharply from her PDA. Ami's habit of playing games to kill stress had definitely rubbed onto the blonde.

_Some idiot is trailing us, - Makoto adjusted the mirror so her companion could catch a glimpse of the red sports car behind them, which at the time was keeping a safe enough distance so as not to be detected.

It was hard to escape detection however, when theirs were the only two vehicles on the shortcut and the latter had been going in the same direction for at least ten minutes.

_Better safe than sorry, - the brunette muttered to herself, making a sharp right turn in the process.

_To no avail, - Mina shook her head, subtly informing her driver that the sports car had begun its own turn around the corner.

_Strange, that's a car I actually _don't_ recognize, - the brunette narrowed her eyes, accelerating.

Mina frowned.

Makoto knew almost each and every driver in Tokyo personally, what with her connection to the sand-haired biker gang leader she herself had only met once.

This was strange indeed.

Eying the fake diamond ring that complete her disguise as Usagi that night, an idea occurred to her as she recalled Ami's caution during the one-minute briefing she received before leaving for the meeting with Ace.

"_Now, I know it doesn't look _that _real, - the bluenette said as both blondes rolled their eyes at the same time, duly noting Ami's perfectionism – but that's _not_ just some black market forgery complimentary to your disguise, by the way."_

Mina grinned.

_Just don't throw off your disguise, - the brunette commented, catching on as she saw her companion took out a piece of napkin, rolled it into a small ball, and lowered the window.

The second the small ball of napkin flew out of the window like a random act of littering was also the only second her right hand, including the ring finger was outside; and in a wink of the eye she pressed her pinky finger onto the supposed "diamond", withdrawing as quickly as when it all began.

The window rolled back to closing.

Mina took off the ring, slid it gently passed the screen of her PDA, which glowed and continued to as she typed in a code along with some simple commands.

A picture of the unmarked sports car showed up on the faintly glowing screen, which she presented to Makoto as their car stopped at a red light.

_You sure you don't know that car?

Makoto shook her head, throwing her last assessment over her shoulders as the light turned green.

_It's unmarked, Mina. There was not even a brand logo in front; something's definitely up.

Mina nodded in agreement.

_Either that car knows of your reputation and wishes to challenge you without being subjected to the wrath of Haruka's team, or it's some random idiot not knowing what he's gotten himself into, or Usagi's boyfriend wants to check on her again.

She forced down a gulp, adding by way of conclusion.

_There's no way it could have been... _him_. Ace likes things delivered to his doorstep, he wouldn't bother sending someone after us, not when we're on our way to meet him anyway.

_He doesn't know where you are, Mina, - Makoto shook her head, quelling the blonde's silent fear. That's what he's trying to find out.

Making another sharp turn, this time on the left, the brunette narrowed her eyes again as she glared at the rearview mirror.

_You couldn't get his face? Or hers?

_Too far, - Mina shook her head.

_Soooo... - the brunette drawled, so much unlike her – some idiot wants a race? I'll be only too happy to oblige any other day, but right now another human being's life is on the line; and that means...

The two companions caught each other's glance briefly in the mirror, and broke out simultaneously in a mischievous grin.

* * *

><p><em>Back at the rooming house, ten minutes to the deadline.<em>

_Taking their time aren't they? - Ace growled, growing impatient by the second as his watch kept ticking, counting down to the deadline of meeting Mina and her team.

_How much time do they think they have? - Beryl shook her head; years working with Ace had taught her impatience was as much infectious as any other ordinary feeling.

_Or, - malice shone in Ace's eyes – Mina didn't feel the urgent need to skip her sleep tonight and come rescue some rat she left behind.

_N... no, - Copper shrunk back as if she had just been slashed with a knife, Ace's carefully chosen words certainly having the intended effect – no, she won't ever ditch me in your clutches. No way. _No way_.

Her voice growing more firmly as she lifted her head to meet his eyes squarely and voluntarily the first time, the short-haired brunette repeated in a confident way.

_She'll never do that to me.

_Ah, - Ace's grin was growing wider by the second – another lie we desperately want to believe in, eh?

Her shoulders slumped lightly, but even that did not escape his attention.

He had taken notice of an occasional glimpse of uncertainty flashing through her hazel eyes as she thought her time was coming up, and the blonde was still nowhere in sight.

Another cat in the rain, another game for him.

Appearing bored with the whole scene playing out in front of her, Beryl briefly closed her eyes, recalling an all-too-familiar memory about a certain redhead being interrogated by Ace, of standing her grounds, of betrayal and lies intertwined in a truth so distorted she could never see through.

Seeing Ace sizing up the short-haired brunette, the redhead thought she saw her own past reenacted before her eyes, this time with a different actress yet the villain never seemed to change.

In his own dark corner, the businessman held absolutely still, careful not to interfere with any of the signal transmission. If without saying a word he could convince the police dispatcher about his situation, preferably if his captors mentioned anything incriminating; he could easily get off the case and cut business ties with Ace, forfeiting any special fee in the process.

On the other end of the line, the female dispatcher also held her breath. If the situation was so grave not even a word could be heard from a victim, she needed a statement, a reason, an excuse even, to send over a police car to the location she was already tracing.

* * *

><p><em>Back on the streets.<em>

_What the _hell_, - spitting the last word in his exclamation through gritted teeth, the auburn-haired driver of the unmarked sports car hit the accelerator again, eying the rearview mirror frantically.

_How in hell did he end up on the highway with what seemed to be every motorist in Tokyo hot on his trail?_

Minutes earlier, he was keeping a safe distance from the blue Berlinette, the mysterious car in which his chief's fiancee was riding to God-knows-where; even though he had to admit it was a little too hard to stay undetected when the only two cars heading in the same direction on the streets that night seemed to be theirs and his.

Minutes earlier, he was silently complimenting himself for catching up with his intended target after a dozen sharp turns. Freshly back to his hometown from the States, on his first assignment to his homeland, little did he know the blue Berlinette he was trailing belonged to one of the most notorious prodigy racers in the place he last stayed ten years back.

Minutes earlier, after a particularly difficult short trip through a matrix of alleys, he found himself hitting the brakes as dozens of headlights shone onto his windshield, and seconds after, he found himself reversing hastily, tracing his own steps back through the spiderweb of turns he just took in order to catch up with the blue Berlinette, which seemed to have disappeared the second he was put in the spotlight.

After him, countless motorbikes roared, claiming the streets.

He still had no idea why he ended up on the outskirt highway.

* * *

><p><em>In the blue Berlinette.<em>

_Poor dude, - Makoto chuckled as she hung up the phone, looking over her shoulders to meet Mina's eager gaze – he's running for his life at the moment, according to Michi.

_Michi? - Mina was confused for a minute – Oh, you mean the teal-haired girl dating your scary ex-leader?

_Haruka isn't all that scary, - the brunette grinned.

_Yeah right, - the blonde shrugged, but both could not help grinning at the memory of calling for backup minutes earlier.

__Here, dial the number I told you, - the brunette threw her phone over the shoulders, - and put speakers on._

__Would she recognize me though? - wariness flashed through Mina's eyes as she caught the device._

__She can't box your ears off over the phone, - Makoto laughed, taking another turn as the red sports car was still patiently tracing their steps._

_Mina pouted, but did as told._

__Mako, you dead yet? - a distinctly feminine voice carrying a larger-than-life undertone answered._

__Uh... - the blonde eyed her companion, not sure how to respond._

_Makoto only laughed._

__Driving aren't you? - the voice continued – Then who's holding the phone that I'm having the displeasure to speak with?_

__It's Mina, - the blonde mustered up an answer, eying the device warily as if worried someone would actually box her ears over the line._

__Mina?_

__Yup, Mina, - the blonde held her breath._

__Oh, you mean the blonde girl? Lucky you Blondie, this time I can't box your ears as greetings – the voice gave a friendly laugh, followed by a smacking sound, and the faint voice of someone else chiding "don't scare her like that!"._

__Hey Michi, - the brunette raised her voice a little, glad to see someone keeping her sand-haired friend in check._

__Save me some dignity... ouch! - the background noise answered her greeting, followed by someone clearing her throat – Alright, what can I do for ya tonight? Rally?_

__Kind of, - Mina answered._

__Kind of?_

_The blonde began to explain her situation, exerting precise caution with her wordings so as not to drag any other innocent being into the brewing mess they called a mission._

__Perfect timing, I'm getting bored._

_The phone disconnected._

__What the..._

__That's Haruka for you, - Makoto grinned at a bewildered Mina via the rearview mirror – her team's on their way._

__Here's to hoping my descriptions gave her the right directions, - the blonde threw the cell phone back at her driver, who caught it easily while making another turn pretending to still try to cut off the sports car's trailing._

__It's her jurisdiction, don't worry – the brunette smiled, and added as an afterthought, her grin growing wider:_

__I forgot to tell Haruka to let that car off _easily_._

_Seeing Mina bursting into laughter, Makoto nodded to herself in satisfaction._

_To confront _him_, a relaxed mind was vital._

* * *

><p><em>In the rooming house, seven minutes to the deadline.<em>

_Would you like to take a look at the time, my dear? - Ace leaned down to look the copper-haired girl in the eyes, malice oozing through his sugar-coated voice.

_She will come, - the short-haired girl replied, more to assure herself than to actually respond to the question – I know she will.

_Ah, I won't be so sure, - he brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face, twisting his cold smirk into a friendly smile – won't you take a little drink in the meantime, though?

_I'm not taking anything from you, - Copper-chan glared at her silver-haired captor.

_I like that temper, - Ace's smile grew wider, the cat-and-mouse game of slowly breaking down his prey piece by piece was one of his favorites. But I'm concerned for the well-being of my hostage too, don't you think? If she _really_ cares for you the way you said she does, she won't be too happy at the sight of you neglected by me, now will she?

Right on cue, Beryl approached the copper-haired girl with a glass full of water on her hands and an identical smile to Ace's perfectly feigned friendliness.

_Poor girl, she must be thirsty. It's really strange isn't it Voxley, - she turned to her partner-in-crime, innocence veiled her face; precisely the kind of wolf-in-sheep's-clothing innocence that someone as naïve as Copper-chan could not detect – isn't that girl's team known to be always coming prior to time?

Catching the redhead's whiff, Voxley/Ace nodded with a puzzled expression, maintaining his friendly smile:

_You must be thirsty, - he lowered the glass closer to the copper-haired girl's dry lips.

_Why are you two so nice all of a sudden? - their prey almost whispered, her changed wordings did not escape her captors' detection.

She was slowly breaking down.

_If she really cares the way you said she does, - Ace repeated, his friendly smile never fading – I wouldn't want to face her wrath when she found her beloved Copper-chan, who she left behind a large sum for, who she encouraged to leave this world and restart, neglected.

Something in Ace's friendly smile, in his faithful repeating of her own grateful description of Mina hours earlier, in the spiderweb he carefully weaved so their fragile friendship would be shaken, hit the copper-haired girl worse than his violence earlier.

_After all, - Beryl smiled, her friendly demeanor matching Ace's – what kind of friends leave her friend behind, right?

Her lips shivering from thirst and from the slow shattering of something deep in the darkest corner of her heart, Copper-chan closed her eyes against her better judgment, letting tiny drops of water from Ace's glass comfort her dry throat.

The silver-haired man met his redhead companion's gaze with a victorious smirk.

_Got her._

In the other corner of that room, the businessman still held his breath, praying his phone did not run out of battery before backup came.

On the other end of the line, the female dispatcher hastily gestured for a coworker of hers to dispatch a police car.

Because the confinement room was a closed space, Ace's earlier use of the word "hostage" had resonated, giving the dispatcher the justification she needed to take action.

A hostage-rescue team was on their way.

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z<p>

**A/N:** **_Sorry for the wait, everyone! I didn't mean to go MIA for more than two months, but the beach I went to for vacation was at the center of my attention for quite a while; and my laptop is slowly dying from getting that dreaded blue screen twice plus being kicked to the ground in my sleep for at least 5 times. Anyway, enough whining, thanks a lot for your patience!_**

**_Poor Nephrite ^_^ (sorry 'bout that Eb!)  
><em>**

**_I don't drive, by the way, so let me know if anything I describe of the cars and related technical terms didn't make any sense._**

**_Also, as I've made clear in the summary, the focus of my story isn't the whole Senshi team, but only the Inners and the Shitennous, so even if the Outers make an appearance, they won't be central. Sorry to disappoint Outers fans out there._**

**_My thanks to angelic[dot]aquarian, EbonyMitsu, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel and KaiPhoenix for their patience and time in reading my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well._**

**_Until my next chapter,_**

**_Chrys._**


	5. Busted

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Busted_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> In the blue Berlinette.<em>

_Just around the corner, am I right?

Slowly bringing the car to a stop so as not to alert the whole neighborhood, Makoto asked over her shoulder.

It was more of a rhetorical question, since it was in that car, same driver, that Mina had been dropped off into her undercover assignment in the sex trade.

To the blonde, that meant both "Are you alright?" and "You are not alone".

She nodded to the rearview mirror in response, clutching the PDA on her hands, a move that did not escape her companion's perceptive eyes.

Scanning the dark alley they were in one final time for good measure, the brunette hit a small button that looked out of place next to her steering wheel, and took in a deep breath as she knew a new car paint color was spreading out over her vehicle.

It was just one simple optical trick Ami figured out after hours of killing time by analyzing wavelengths of street lights and comparing their influence on color vision changes during different times of the day – the blue-haired genius' idea of "entertainment". Long story short, she came up with a liquid chemical compound that could affect the eyes' color receptors, provided that they were operating under street lights in the first place, and confuse them enough to lead to misidentification of the exterior paint.

__It would still stay the same, right? - the brunette asked as if she just woke from a dream, staring at Ami's demonstration._

__The exterior paint? - the bluenette gave a smirk much unlike her usual shy self – Not only will it stay the same ocean blue, with this combination and under the street light it would take on your favorite color._

_Deep green._

Makoto chuckled at the memory, glancing at her watch.

The disguise took only two minutes to complete.

Behind her, Mina was ready.

_Those odangos look weird on you, just saying.

She got a glare for her effort.

_I'm supposed to be on the run from Interpol, remember? Can't waltz out there looking over my shoulders all the time, it'll interfere with the job.

_And disguising as the former fiancee of a company director who just had to send off one of his soon-to-be wife's best friends to work for another company with potentially shady ties was your way out? - Makoto raised her eyebrow.

Mina stuck out her tongue, and they both grinned at each other before exiting the vehicle.

Together, they creeped closer to the street corner, scanning it before actually turning in, and froze.

The street, usually deserted, had two police cars positioned, one in the middle and the other at the other end.

Officers in full uniform were all positioned to fight.

An ambulance was parked on the same side as the rooming house, but closer to the dark alley; and looking out under the street light they could see the silhouette of a long-haired paramedic leaning against the tinted glass window at the front.

Any word that could have left the blonde's lips was drowned out as two flashlights shone at them from behind.

* * *

><p><em>Outside the rooming house, three minutes earlier and four minutes to deadline.<em>

_I'm afraid the dispatcher isn't of much help today, - an officer whispered to another, creeping closer to the worn-down rooming house – the situation seemed very grim, proof is that the caller, presumably a victim, could not speak even a word.

Glancing behind his shoulders, the other responded with baited breath as he watched the rescue force infiltrated the landscape.

_Let's just try our best.

* * *

><p><em>Inside, three minutes earlier and four minutes to deadline.<em>

_Well well well, they sure are taking their time today aren't they?

Beryl's remark was not a direct jab, but it was clear whom she was referring to.

_She won't leave me here, - Copper-chan shook her head, still taking in water from the glass Voxley/Ace was holding close to her lips, which for some twisted reason was leaning against her skin in an angle odd enough for her to only sip one drop at a time.

Planning on throwing a cut-throat comment or two into the mist, the silver-haired man stopped frozen on his track as he caught a movement of their other hostage from the corner of his eyes.

Taking the glass away from the short-haired brunette as swiftly as possible, spilling a few drops in the process, Ace approached the stocky man and snatched the device from the latter's futile attempt to hide it behind his back.

_110, eh?

Ace's voice took on a dangerous note, with him turning the phone over and over in one gloved hand.

The redhead braced herself for what she was sure was to come – years of working alongside him had taught her _when_, and more importantly, _how_, to expect _what_ – but Copper-chan's eyes was almost glued to the psychopath's every movement.

She saw him putting the other hand into his pocket.

She caught a glimpse of a pistol.

She noticed his gun-holding hand had leveled with his shoulder.

One last scene burning into the businessman's mind, and one first scene of its kind that Copper-chan witnessed, was images of Ace pointing the pistol at the former, one view from behind, the other frontal.

A loud "bang!", blood plus God-knows-what-else splattered onto the wall behind the other hostage's chair, and the short-haired brunete screamed.

It was one minute to deadline.

* * *

><p><em>Outside, present.<em>

The officers paled, and with one swift move one broke down the front door.

The street was not a particularly long one, and around the corner Mina heard that scream she dreaded to hear.

She gritted her teeth, preparing for a mindless sprint out of her hiding place when she felt two flashlights concentrated on her.

Having been under siege mostly by the fear of activating her mild photosensitivity, Makoto burst into action as she felt the light being directed away from her; and with one jump, one kick, whoever was trying to handle them single-handedly with the aid of two flashlights was down.

Not even bothering to take one look at her unworthy opponent, the brunette turned back in time to see her companion disappearing around the corner.

She took off after the blonde in full speed, and catching the latter's arm, attempting to drag her back into the shadow in silence, but all was too late.

The long-haired paramedic had heard the commotion in the dark alley right across from her ambulance, and shouted after them, loud enough for the one in charge of the second police car to take immediate notice.

_Law enforcement, freeze!

Makoto dashed to her prized Berlinette, hitting the remote key and jumped into the driver's seat.

Frozen in space, Mina watched as her companion skillfully reversed the car, careful so as to not touch even a hair on the unconscious officer, whose flashlights were still working well.

Frozen in space, Mina watched as the lone officer from the second police car dashed toward her.

Copper-chan's scream was still echoing in her ears, reminding her of a past gone astray, when it was precisely a similar scream, cut off by a gunshot and followed by erratic laughter, that woke her up to the psychopath her then-beloved mentor truly was.

The screeching sound of the Berlinette reversing again on the spot, backing into the space right next to her woke her from the recurring nightmare.

With the door wide open, the blonde hopped into the passenger's seat, not noticing her disguise had fallen off revealing the stream of golden hair reaching down to her waist.

She gave the officer one last look of assessment, and a sudden breeze pushed her hair backward, creating a curiously nostalgic stance for anyone who had ever known her in any sense of the word "know".

Taken by surprise, the officer who gave chase stopped on the spot, prompting the long-haired paramedic to ditch her ambulance and rush into the dark alley to verify any unseen injury.

One minute was enough for the Berlinette to disappear into the night.

Gaze glued in that direction, the officer twirled a strand of hair around her finger, amazement flowed out in a whisper:

__Venus..._

_What's that you said, Tomoe-san?

As if awoken from a dream, the officer took off her cap and shook her head gently as she usually did in times of stress. Under the only source of light from a second-story window nearby, her hair looked the color of a deep purple.

_Nothing, Meioh-san, - she said, turning to look at the long-haired paramedic beside her.

In reality, she had no idea what she just said.

* * *

><p><em>Forty-five seconds before Makoto made her move, forty seconds to deadline.<em>

_Shut up, - Beryl held her amethyst blade up to the short-haired brunette's neck – and stop trembling. I don't intend to hurt anyone tonight, but writing it off as an accident when you're shaking this badly ain't all that hard either.

With a kind of strength she did not know she had had until then, Copper-chan looked up at her, eyes wild, but otherwise calm, and the redhead was amazed at the amount of willpower displayed in front of her.

"He does pick out the best, doesn't he?", she glanced toward her partner-in-crime, who was approaching them at an incredible speed.

_Wrap it up.

It was all he could say when the sound of the door being broken down hit their ears.

Seeking Voxley/Ace's agreement by eye contact, Beryl raised the blade; while the poor girl in front of her closed her eyes, feeling oddly calm, expecting the worst to come.

It was without a sound.

* * *

><p><em>Back to the present.<em>

_I need to go back. I have to go back. I have to, Makoto, I promised her I'd always be there for her. I must go back.

The brunette answered by accelerating.

_Makoto!

_Do you want to blow our cover? Do you want this mission failed? Do you want more people suffering at Ace's hands when we finally have a chance to end it all?

_Who said we had a chance? - flinching at the mentioning of her former mentor's name, Mina spat back. And beside... at _what_ cost?

She trembled.

_It wasn't your fault.

_It was!

_I'm not playing this with you – Makoto glanced over her shoulders – If it was a mistake, it was of ours all. We should have been able to contact you earlier about that oil secretary's change of schedule.

_I'm not playing!

_I'm not, either.

_Then what's with your little game with that sports car? You could've hurried up and...

The blonde choked on her own words.

_What's with your disguise, then? - the brunette shot back – Do you honestly think it'll be better if you get caught and identified as an imposter to Tsukino Usagi, former fiancee of one of the most influential company directors in Tokyo? And then revealed as wanted by Interpol for questioning in a string of murders?

As she said it, Makoto knew she was crossing the line.

Mina had been running away from her past for too long.

This mission was for her an opportunity to confront it, not be overwhelmed by it.

_You don't know how losing a dear friend feels like, - the blonde shouted, as close to losing her mind as possible – you never had a friend before this team anyway!

Makoto slammed the brakes at a red light.

_Get out, - the brunette said quietly. You want to go back there and make our team's common mistake yours and yours only, I won't keep you.

She met the blonde's gaze via the rearview mirror.

_Get out.

Mina jumped out, watching her companion turning left without waiting for the green light, then took a few steps forward on the pavement before tumbling onto the street, breaking down literally and emotionally.

Deep down, she knew it was both the helplessness in losing a friend she had grown so close to over such a short period of time and the memories came rushing back about Ace that caused her to snap.

She knew Makoto meant to breach the invisible wall she had been building around her past, forcing her to confront the wound she had left infected for so long.

Makoto did not mean hurt.

_She_ did.

Engulfed in her tears, tears of regret, tears of recurring nightmares, tears of locked-away memories, she was only jolted back to her senses as a yellow cab screeched to a full stop in front of her.

_What in this world are you doing?

The driver practically jumped out of his seat, the late-night breeze caressed his long silver hair.

_V?

Mina looked up, blinking a few times to clear her vision.

_... Kale?

* * *

><p><em>Back at the rooming house, thirty seconds after the front door was broken down.<em>

_Living room, clear.

_Bathroom, clear.

_Storage room, cle... EVERYONE GET OUT!

_What the... - all officers froze in place, and the one who gave the last shout appeared at the door to storage.

Not even taking time to catch his breath, he shouted with all his might:

_Time bomb!

Jolted from a five-second shock by a shove at his back, the leading officer shouted his command:

_EVERYONE GET OUT!

They were five steps away from the broken front door when a loud explosion sent the rooming house up in flames.

The closest to it took the worst impact, but everyone was otherwise safe.

The fire department was called on scene, both the long-haired paramedic and the female officer who had chased after Mina provided first aid, neither remembering the blonde from just a little while back.

Out on an unknown street, Makoto shot up from leaning on the steering wheel, her eyes tracing the sudden outburst of smoke from the corner of the city.

An all-too-familiar number was dialed immediately.

Mina ignored her ringing phone, her eyes fixated onto the reflection of the burning flames on the midnight blue sky, and beside her in the driver's seat, the silver-haired man calling himself Kale did not take his eyes off her even once.

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z<p>

**A/N:** _**Sorry for the wait again, everyone! I was busy with schoolwork for the first few months, but it's fall break at the moment, so I have a couple of chapters lined up in short order. Sorry if this one was shorter than you expected.**_

_**And yes, I made up that optical trick I tried to describe. Basically it would work something to the effect of synchronizing the light wavelengths of deep green and ocean blue, and you know how street lights always make things look a little different than they would in daylight.**_

_**Let me know if there's any inconsistency in the timeline.**_

_**Also, as I've made clear in the summary, the focus of my story isn't the whole Senshi team, but only the Inners and the Shitennous, so even if the Outers make an appearance, they won't be central. Sorry to disappoint Outers fans out there.**_

_**My thanks to **__ , EbonyMitsu__** (I'll handle the rally next chapter, try guessing how it would go down *grins*)**__, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo __**and**__ wingsofseyfert12__** for their patience and time in reading my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**_

_**Until my next chapter,**_

_**Chrys. **_


	6. Out

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Out_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> In the yellow taxi, fifteen minutes later.<em>

_Well, isn't this quite an unexpected development?_, the silver-haired driver thought to himself, his eyes not leaving the sight of his blonde passenger, herself quiet and motionless on her seat as if frozen in time and space, her gaze fixed on the faint smoke still emitting from the rooming house afar.

Thirty minutes earlier, he was stuck in traffic while coming in from the outskirts of the city, a rather unusual occurrence for Tokyo on a workday's night; the cause for which, as he finally discovered upon communicating with the blond genius back at headquarters, were dozens of bikers breaking their routine, seemingly deadset on heading out to a midnight rally.

__Wait a sec, iceberg, - the person on the other line suddenly cut off their conversation, and right afterward there was the distinctly familiar sound of a headset being picked up off an invisible table, followed up with a standard monotone, devoid of the cheesy humor that just filled it seconds earlier._

__110, how may I help you?_

__Good evening madam, what's the nature of your emergency?_

__I see. Well, madam, this is not within our jurisdiction, seeing as they are heading out to the city highway, but I can certainly transfer you to another..._

__Madam, if there is no imminent threat to your physical or psychological well-being, I'm afraid you would have to contact another department. We only handle emergencies on this line._

__I understand the noise woke you up, madam, but if they have exhibit no threatening behavior toward you as an individual or toward your family as a unit, aside from passing by, then I'm afraid..._

__Madam, please calm down, or I'll be forced to disconnect the call._

__Madam, please._

__Madam, in case you need it, here's the number of the local police who would gladly investigate the bikers who exerted their legal right to make full use of the street on which your house is located._

_Moving slowly in accordance to traffic, Ken had no other choice than to listen to the rest of the phone call, which went no more interesting than the first part, seeing how it only consisted of monotonic answers and the faint echo of some old woman yelling._

_Needless to say, he was as glad as the dispatcher when the call was over._

__I'm back, iceberg, - the familiar voice of his genius teammate buzzed in his ears – It seems the cause for your traffic jam is a bunch of bikers deciding to organize a spontaneous rally in the middle of the night._

__That's all? - the silver-haired driver shook his head in disbelief._

__Well, that and some random truck broke down midway to the city center, - the other line quickly amended._

__And I'm supposed to head to the other side of the city?_

__At least you're out and about, - the voice sighed – I'm stuck here answering random phone calls that attempt to claim non-emergencies as emergencies. What part of "life-threatening conditions" do they not understand, anyway?_

__And they're okay with you talking to another as you wait?_

__No, iceberg, I'm _typing_. Remember the keyboard-to-voice device I told you I finished making?_

__The improved portable version of Firefox's Text to Speech add-on?_

__It's an excellent expansion and experiment, mind you – the other line took on a slightly annoyed hint._

__You're as proud of that as Nephrite is of his automobile knowledge, eh?_

_An indignant huff, then slight concern as the unseen teammate commented:_

__I haven't heard back from him after we sent him after that blue whatsitsname car._

__Check on him, then._

__About to... wait a sec, iceberg. Someone's signaling for me._

_By instinct, the silver-haired driver knew something was up, and this time, gravely important._

_Ten minutes after._

__Kunzite, I don't care how, you've gotta get to the following address immediately._

__What is it?_

__A hostage situation occurred right at the location I informed you of earlier._

__The one where Mina Voxley used to stay, five-minute walk from the parking lot I picked her up?_

__That's the one. We'll have someone meet up with you, - his correspondent added as an afterthought, most likely knowing beforehand what he would do to get out of that sticky situation._

_Hanging up, the silver-haired driver calling himself Kale – and whose codename for God-knows-who was Kunzite, a mineral no less – eyed the sidewalk, his rearview mirror, the line of cars in front, respectively in assessment of the situation._

_Slowly but steadily wrapping his hand around the accelerator, he backed up to a pre-measured point, where his taillights were just inches away from the next car in line, whose driver honked in response._

_Controlling the steering wheel with his other hand, Kale made a slight lean onto his right, then drove straight up the pavement nearby, careful not to hit any of the bystanders who were staring at him open-mouthed._

_Ignoring the repeated honking from other cars in line and some shouting from passers-by, he slid off the sidewalk and turned left in the middle of the intersection before any lights could turn green, narrowly dodging a car making a legal right turn._

_He did not slow down until his eyes met a blinking car sign pointing down a dark alley._

_In less than five minutes later, an identical yellow cab left the shadow, with the same silver-haired driver on board._

_If anyone were to pay attention, however, they would notice a slightly different license plate, with only one number off the mark._

Eyes still fixated on his blonde passenger, the silver-haired driver ran through a couple of solutions in his head. Just his luck, getting out of traffic jam only to get stuck in another sticky situation, with the only upside being the fact that he had just picked up the mission's target.

And it seemed, his designated destination was blown up – trained eyes like his could recognize an explosion from anywhere – drawing her tears dry and replacing them with a near catatonic state starkly different from the bubbly, engaging self he had just had a pleasant talk with about an hour earlier.

Not that he would ever admit to his chief and colleagues how much he had enjoyed chatting with her about nothing in particular. It took loads of effort to coax a decent conversation out of a stoic agent like him, let alone talking nonsense, and yet she managed without even consciously trying to achieve it.

Just because he had reported his second encounter with her in a neutral tone, however, did not mean he was going to let it slide when she showed up so... _broken_.

If anything, her files and whatever his team could gather about her by words of mouth indicate a brilliant, natural-born actress who always maintained her composure in a flawless sort of way.

"She can't sit that way forever", he thought to himself, eying the digital screen next to his steering wheel, then cast a glance in the direction of what he was sure was his designated destination, where only faint lines of smoke glazed a portion of the sky.

_V? Hey, V – he reached out, brushing her shoulder lightly, attempting to take her attention off the seemingly-extinguished fire.

She turned to him, traces of tears still visible, glimmering in the faint street lights.

_V... uh... you alright?

Kale mentally smacked himself.

"She just showed me a different side of herself and I acted as if her behavior was off-putting?"

It _was_ off-putting, if compared to the friendly, smiling girl he met earlier, but that was nowhere near the point.

Damn.

He was never good at consoling people, and especially women at that.

_Uh... V, do you live in that apartment building I dropped you off earlier, or somewhere else? Mind telling me your address so I can take you home?

_Great, now I sound like a creep_, he shook his head disapprovingly to himself, pointedly ignoring the rising feeling that his own behavior at that moment resemble someone talking to his childhood crush more than an undercover agent conversing with the target of his mission.

_V? - he lightly squeezed her shoulder, realizing with a start that his hand had been resting there ever since he first spoke, yet she did not seem to mind its presence.

She blinked a few times in response, and locked eyes with him the first time, the look on her face still indicated slight disorientation.

_Kale?

_Yes?

She fell into silence, breaking eye contact to scan her surrounding, and all of a sudden exclaimed with surprise:

_I'm in your cab?

_V, I picked you up when you, uh, when _I_ found you in the middle of the street there, - he pointed, avoiding the phrase "when you were hysterical" for fear of offending her.

He eyed her confused expression.

_Don't tell me... you forgot?

_No, of course not – she shook her head – but aren't you supposed to be working? Haven't we been sitting here for a while now?

Oh, _that_.

_I'm actually on my way back to the garage, - thinking fast, he made up the excuse, hoping it would be convincing enough.

He never liked lying, but it came with the job – a prerequisite skill, in fact.

_I see, - she nodded in understanding.

They looked into each other's eyes for a full minute, and simultaneously broke the silence.

_Would you have time for a little chat?

_Would you join me for some after-work coffee?

They locked eyes again, this time in surprise; and moments later, she smiled.

Ken saw the pleasant lady he enjoyed talking with earlier – not that he would ever admit it to his colleagues – slowly returning in front of his eyes.

_I take it that's a yes, then?

Mina, or V as she introduced herself to the silver-haired driver and most of her clients, nodded, adding as an afterthought.

_I'll have to let my friends know first, lest they worry.

_After you're done, - he started the engine – could you text my suite-mates to tell them I'll be back late? I don't want them up too late waiting for some hypothetical beer I'm supposed to be bringing upon my return.

_Sure, - brushing a stray strand of hair aside, Mina eyed her own reflection in the wing mirror, remarked – I do look like a mess, don't I?

_A little.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

_Alright, a bit.

_Really? - she drawled in sarcasm while taking out a comb and began to fix her hair.

_Yes, just a little bit.

_Does that mean you're only _a little bit_ sure of your opinion of my hair, or that my hair is just _a little bit_ messy?

Kale gave a small laugh at her apparent emphasis of the phrase.

_Either.

_Can't it be both?

_How, exactly? - he shot back.

_That you're only _a little bit_ sure that my hair is only _a little bit_ messy?

Stopping at a red light, the silver-haired driver turned to make eye contact, and moments later laughter bubbled from inside the car as his slowly defeating stance was met squarely with her challenging expression.

_Fine, - he turned back to the road -your hair is _a lot_ messy.

Feeling her mock glare, he quickly added:

_But it's only _a little bit_ messy now that you fixed it, all the while debating with me.

She pouted, pretending to cross her arms, but instead withdrew her phone from inside her pocket and dialed the penthouse's number.

_Hey, it's me – she spoke as soon as the other line picked up – I'll be late. Talk to you later, 'kay?

Hanging up without waiting for a response, Mina turned to Ken, a friendly smile on her face:

_Would you like me to text your friends now?

_Yes, please. I wouldn't want to disturb their sleep.

He gestured toward the cup-holder.

_My cell is just around here somewhere; most likely there.

The blonde switched on the tiny flashlight dangling off her own cell phone, asking without looking up:

_Didn't you say they were waiting for beer?

_Excuse me?

_If they were sleeping, wouldn't a text wake them up? Sorry, - she continued searching – I'm just curious as to how someone can wait for beer consciously while asleep already.

Her unexpected chauffeur flinched inwardly.

"Characteristically," he thought to himself, "never off-guard and very upfront about that".

_It shouldn't, - he shook his head, making a left turn – seeing how I'm the one waking the up every night after work, and yet they'll be the ones nagging at me first thing in the morning if the night before I didn't shake them awake with a pack of beer.

_Found it – she held up the phone triumphantly – and what would you like the text to say?

_How about, "I'll be late. Don't bug me, or else no beer?"

_Alright, then – she gave a small laugh, proceeding to send the message as requested.

Unbeknownst to her, "beer" was the code for "intelligence" among him and his colleagues.

Unbeknownst to him, aside from actually not wanting to go back to their shared penthouse right that moment, she also _did_ intend to figure out why he looked so familiar to her by after-hours socializing.

* * *

><p><em>Out on the outskirt highway.<em>

_They won't be trailing us I don't think, - Beryl commented, leaning her head against the car window.

_I'd like to see them _try_ – Ace hissed threateningly, his eyes also fixated on the faint traces of smoke afar, which by that point had faded, nearly unrecognizable from the city lights.

_Voxley? - the redhead spoke up, breaking the silence and drawing the silver-haired man's attention.

_What is it?

He turned toward her, his eyes colder than a bucket of Antarctic ice.

_What to do with her, - she gestured toward the back seat where the short-haired brunette from earlier was lying motionless, her question coming out without the usual rising intonation often seen in regular inquiries.

He picked up on her tone as expected, his face betraying no emotion.

_You don't sound like you need to ask in order to figure out what to do.

_I don't.

_Why bring it up, then?

__Not_ to annoy you, of course.

It was common knowledge that psychopaths were fully incapable of developing any kind of attachment to anyone; yet Beryl was the only one among _them_ allowed to speak to him that way and getting away with it unscathed.

_What for, then? - he snapped, but there was no trace of annoyance in his voice.

Intrigue, instead.

He was curious to see how much of him his redhead partner-in-crime could understand.

Or rather, how much she _thought_ she could comprehend.

_You seem to be enjoying yourself earlier, - Beryl shook her head, referring to their quality time spent with both hostages in the rooming house.

_I was.

_Then why eliminate a future source of entertainment?

Beryl raised her eyebrow for effect.

Ace's eyes took on a predatory gleam.

_Because I have you?

He took her startled hand, planting a kiss in the middle of her palm.

She shivered, not out of a surge of emotions, but because his hand was colder than she had imagined, given his heartless personality.

_That's not even funny, - she commented, withdrawing her hand and opened the car door to step outside.

Ace followed suit, a new game brewing in his mind.

_We'll let her go this time, - she leaned onto the car hood, her arms crossed with a faraway look.

To be fair, she did not want her hand bloodied that night, literally or figuratively. When your partner-in-crime is an uncertified psychopath, however, that could be hard to explain or justify unscathed.

Even harder when said psychopath just missed his intended prey due to some idiot requesting the police.

__Shut up, - Beryl held her amethyst blade up to the short-haired brunette's neck – and stop trembling. I don't intend to hurt anyone tonight, but writing it off as an accident when you're shaking this badly ain't all that hard either._

_With a kind of strength she did not know she had had until then, Copper-chan looked up at her, eyes wild, but otherwise calm, and the redhead was amazed at the amount of willpower displayed in front of her._

_"He does pick out the best, doesn't he?", she glanced toward her partner-in-crime, who was approaching them at an incredible speed._

__Wrap it up._

_It was all he could say when the sound of the door being broken down hit their ears._

_Seeking Voxley/Ace's agreement by eye contact, Beryl raised the blade; while the poor girl in front of her closed her eyes, feeling oddly calm, expecting the worst to come._

_It was without a sound._

_Without a sound, her blade sliced through the rope tying Copper-chan to the wooden chair, and she yanked their remaining hostage up by the latter's necklace._

__You're choking her, - Ace pointed out as he dashed toward the back door, and by one last glance all over the room, Beryl suddenly grasped why the silver-haired man was in such a hurry._

_The unmistakable tick-tock from the corner of the room where the corpse of the businessman was located, albeit with its head blasted off._

_The telltale red gleam from the glass display at the front of the object itself._

_The rapidly counting down digital clock that held her gaze for less than five seconds._

_Time bomb._

_She withdrew her amethyst blade once again, whispering to the barely conscious girl being held standing by her own necklace:_

__Quiet and follow me, or watch my blade._

_The brunette nodded, trying her best not to be paralyzed by fear._

_She also caught a glimpse of the timer._

_The redhead broke into a run out of the rooming house, with Copper-chan following suit._

_Even though she just got kidnapped by the same people, the short-haired brunette would rather be with them than inside that dreaded place, where she just witnessed a human life being ended without mercy or hesitation, where she had to endure the past few hours without anyone on her side, not even Mina._

Not even Mina...

_Jumping into the back seat of the black car, the last thing Copper-chan saw was an object being raised high in the air and felt a numbing pain on the side of her head._

_The short-haired brunette was knocked unconscious while the car raced away, the last thought on her mind was directed toward a certain blonde who appeared to have _failed_ to be there and protect her as promised._

_You didn't have to hit her that hard, - a whisper caressing her ear and an arm sneaking around her waist shook Beryl back to the present.

The redhead glanced aside, mild surprise graced her face as she noticed Voxley/Ace standing unusually close to her with a half-smirk, half-schoolboy-grin that had captivated so many girls, including a younger Mina.

It was part of his usual behavior to be turned on by the thought of pursuing "the one who got away" as he referred to Mina-_chan_; however, Beryl stopped chalking all that up to his psychopathy the second she felt his lips tracing her collarbone.

_What the..._, she froze on the spot, not quite sure how to react, both not wanting to send him off the handle and not wishing to continue with the makeout session he had initiated.

Quickly slipping out of his arms and flashing him a half-hearted smirk over her shoulder, the redhead advanced toward the passenger door, her hand already on the handle with full intention of releasing their brunette hostage as she felt his arms slipping around her again.

_Are you out of... - she snapped, turning around to face him; but was caught off-guard as he kissed her.

For a minute or two, Beryl was unable to comprehend the fact that her psychopathic companion was kissing her, a virtual stranger to him outside work, and with as much passion as any guy to his long-term girlfriend; but one sure thing was that his display of affection – that is, assuming a psychopath had one – was slowly wearing down her defense.

She found herself kissing him back.

Catching herself in the act as Voxley/Ace gently pushed her against the passenger door and began kissing her neck, the redhead stood up straight, taking hold of her partner-in-crime's hand around her waist:

_Voxley, I'm not _her_, - she stated firmly, wanting to end the ridiculous session as soon as possible.

_I never said you were, - the silver-haired man whispered into her ears -do you really think I'd engage any cheap replica?

_What the actual...

He silenced her by again pressing his lips into hers, and this time passion took over.

_Ace, - Beryl breathed into his neck, her fingers entangled in his hair as she felt his lips on her shoulders, his hands sliding under her tight tube top, and the warmth from his body pressing against her.

She had not felt this way ever since... ah, scratch that.

Preoccupied as they were with each other, neither of them noticed a beam of headlights from afar and the roaring sound of motorcycles approaching.

_GET A ROOM YOU TWO!

The leader shouted as s/he sped by, a teal-haired lady holding on to said person's waist, and laughter filled the air as the road swelled up in dust.

In an unexpected movement, Voxley/Ace straightened, sheltering his redhead partner-in-crime from the blinding headlights and road dust, all the while looking into her confused eyes with a surprisingly gentle smile.

Beryl was perplexed, to say the least.

Getting physical she could understand, but acting as a human shield for her against something else? That level of care was not something she expected from a colleague, much less from a psychopathic one.

Whatever twisted game he was playing, she wanted no part of it.

She removed herself from his embrace as the last motorcycle disappeared from view, shooting him a scathing "Thanks, but no thanks" over her shoulder as she opened the car door, confronting the newly-woken brunette.

Moments later, the black car disappeared into darkness, leaving the confused but otherwise unharmed Copper-chan on the outskirt highway.

_Feeling generous tonight, aren't we? - Voxley/Ace eyed Beryl from the corner of his eyes as he made a sharp left turn.

_For future entertainment, - the redhead shrugged.

_Entertainment, you said? - the short-haired man smirked at her as he reached for her hand resting near the cup-holder.

_As I said, thanks, but no thanks, - Beryl moved her hand away.

_Ah, being difficult, I see.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Voxley/Ace could see Beryl's surprised expression, which he answered by a widening smirk.

Time to play.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile, at the taxi depot.<em>

Leaning against a lone car at one end of the employee parking lot, Mina stifled a yawn, thoughts of Copper-chan being left alone in Ace's clutch still raw on her mind as a fresh wound, opening up the mental path to her past that had never been properly sealed.

Maybe Makoto was right after all. To have closure of any kind, there needed to be active engagement in combat.

_Sorry for the wait, V – she looked up to see Kale exiting the employee lounge nearby, holding toward her a can of black iced coffee, another identical one in his other hand, complete with a lunch bag.

_It's no problem, - she gave him a small smile in greeting, signaling for him to simply throw her the canned coffee, which he did and she caught with extreme ease.

_Talk about proper training, _he though to himself as he watched her swift yet graceful movement.

_Shall we? - he smiled at her, holding the car door open.

* * *

><p><em>Back on the outskirt highway, fifteen minutes after VoxleyAce left._

Sheer willpower was the only thing that kept the short-haired brunette going as her legs threatened to give out.

_I have to find Mina... have to ask her why..._

Giving in to fatigue, Copper-chan threw all her street caution into the wind and flagged down the next car driving by, which happened to be a red sports car with a single driver on it.

She hopped in without the person's consent, planning to ask him to drive her back to the city as she took in the full sight of him and screamed.

_WHAT THE HELL?

_Don't "what the hell" me! – the driver screamed back as he turned beet red. Do you want the ride or not?

_With a pervert wearing only a pair of boxers? NO THANKS! - she shouted the last couple of words and attempted to exit the vehicle when he grabbed hod of her hand.

She turned to him, mustering up all her remaining strength as she narrowed her eyes, recalling how Mina – _why, Mina?_ - had handled a creep a while back.

_If you do what you're planning to do, I'll scream bloody murder. You hear me?

_Fine, - the auburn-haired driver sighed. Get out, then. Just for the record, though, I'm not who you think I am.

_What, you're an alien pervert?

_IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!

All the frustration and impatience suppressed throughout the night exploded in a few words, and Copper-chan stared at him, unsure of how to proceed. A part of her trusted the stranger, but another, more skeptical part kept nagging at her.

_Who the hell drives onto the outskirt highway with only boxers on anyway? - she thought out loud without even realizing it.

_I'm telling you it was an accident!

If possible, the man grew redder and redder after each line.

_It's not like you haven't seen this before!

_Who do you think I am?

Rage, and in some part, hurt, were swelling inside the short-haired brunette.

_Someone with access to a TV? Hello? What decade is this? Promo videos are even more explicit!

She stared at him for another minute, then burst out laughing.

That set off a train of rambling comments about how he was chased from the outskirt highway to the center of Tokyo by a whole lot of raging motorcyclists while he had not provoked them in any way, then back outside city boundaries, had his tire blown, was forced to "buy" one from his pursuers at the cost of every fashion item he had on at the time, while his wallet was left untouched.

_All because those are American-made clothing, - he sat fuming as Copper-chan, despite her overwhelming fatigue, could not stop laughing – haven't they ever heard of globalization and the global flow of goods. To think I insisted on paying by cash and they declined, citing some old gang rules about trading and exchange, and then...

Wiping tears from her eyes from hysterical laughter, the short-haired brunette grinned as the "new boy" as she was beginning to refer to him continued the ramble about his "accident".

If her time on the streets and around bikers had taught her anything...

_There is no such rule – she finally stated, her grin growing wider – in other words, you got played.

_WHAT?

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z<p>

**A/N:** _**Here you go, a quicker update as I promised. I believe another should be up before the end of the week – see, this chapter is quite long because I was trying to squeeze that part in, but gave up.**_

_**Let me know if there's any inconsistency in the timeline, or if anything about the driving scenes don't make sense. I don't drive, so that's pure imagination on my part.**_

_**And yes, I know Tokyo likely has more than one highways, but as I don't know them all *shrugs***_

_**Also, I'm all for experimenting with new pairings. Can you guess by this point who Copper-chan really is?**_

_**My thanks to **__ , EbonyMitsu_ _**(the rally didn't go down as expected, eh? Poor Nephrite *grins* and thanks for the beta-reading!)**__, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo __**and**_ _wingsofseyfert12_ _**for their patience and time in reading my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**_

_**Until my next chapter,**_

_**Chrys. **_


	7. Wander

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Wander_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em>On a dark street within city boundaries, half an hour later.<em>

_Woman, you have to tell me where you live.

_No.

_I can't ditch you in the middle of nowhere.

_It's Tokyo, not the middle of nowhere.

_It's a metropolis, woman, not your little sleepy hometown.

_Who said I'm from a little sleepy town?

The auburn-haired man tapped his fingers impatiently on the wheel, shaking his head.

_Don't be difficult; I'm trying to help you here.

_I don't know who you are.

He narrowed his eyes, turning to look at her.

_It's not that you don't know me. It's that you don't know me well enough to give me your home address. Need your memory jogged, woman? I'm the driver who was unfortunate enough to be stripped of all his clothing by a bunch of pranking bikers? – he hissed the word _prank_, evidently not quite over the humiliation yet – The driver who did you a favour just now by driving you back from the outskirt highway where you got abandoned?

_Home..._

_Abandoned..._

He had meant it differently, referring to whoever it was that ditched her outside Tokyo, which she hadn't let him know yet. But deep in her, the word reminded her of an open wound that hadn't yet stopped bleeding, about a friend who promised to always rescue and protect her, who had kept her words until the most crucial moment, and who had been underneath the surface of her thoughts ever since.

The copper-haired girl snapped.

_Whoever said I was abandoned?

Noticing the tears that had quickly welled up at the corner of her eyes despite the tough exterior and the slowly reddening face, the driver mentally smacked himself. No wonder Zoicite kept calling him "oblivious Neph". Nephrite had never been one delicate enough with his words, especially when he had other concerns in mind. He was a simple man, who often shared his thoughts without carefully polishing the words as others usually did. It was his strength, and also his weakness.

_Whoever said it is unimportant, - he quickly deflected the subject – Now I need your address to take you home, because even though I'm in a pair of boxers unfairly, I'm still a gentleman who can't ditch his passenger in the dark.

Copper-chan was not listening any more.

_Hey... – she said after a few minutes sitting in silence – have... have you ever been abandoned?

_If you mean ditched by roadside in the middle of the night, no. I've been with a vehicle for longer than I have been with any woman, - Nephrite chuckled darkly, the humourless joke he said himself had conjured up images of a long-gone past he desperately wanted to forget, but also wanted it to resume. Of a long-haired lady, the scent of her hair, the grace of her movement... all that he needed to assure him he was home.

_But if you meant in the metaphorical sense... I haven't been, but I was.

His eyes took on a far-away glaze.

_I... was the one who did the abandoning. I was on the side of whoever it was that the dreaded word reminded you of.

The copper-haired girl stared at him, unwilling to believe, to hear, to _see_ yet another living example of the crimes she had been convicting her former roommate of. Here was a man who willingly stopped to help a complete stranger... there was no way he could have done something so heartless, so _despicable_... yet remained so calm, so unaffected, so _nonchalant_ even... telling it like a story he heard from an outsider, not one he perpetrated.

And suddenly she wondered if the blonde she had thought was her friend was doing the same thing, recounting the experience that meant so much to her just like a distant tale, one she had been forced into but luckily got out of.

Listening in on the silver-haired captor's conversation, she had heard enough to deduce that Mina was not a member of her underground world like she had claimed to be. The blonde was in undercover... which meant... the memories they had shared, constructed, cherished... might very well have been part of the act... an act of deceit in and of itself.

Shaking her head violently to get rid of the terrifying conclusion, she looked at the auburn-haired driver again, still not wanting to believe that there existed a world where promises could be taken so lightly, where abandonment of someone did not seem to have the same effect on the abandoner as it did on the abandoned.

_... why? – she choked out, not wanting to hear anything, yet desperately seeking an answer, an explanation, a justification... anything that could help her retain memories of her blonde ex-roommate in a more positive light.

_Why? – she repeated, her eyes boring into the driver's sideway face as if she wanted to see deep into his soul.

_Why? – he laughed to himself, but the laughter was not what she had heard during their conversation along the drive – no, it was a bitter sound, hollow, empty, one that sent chills down her spine and reminded her vividly of her captors. But before she could fall back into the dark pitch of recent experiences, he continued.

_Why... I don't know myself. At the time, I thought that was the right thing to do, though I hurt that person worse than anyone ever did. I was hurting, too... but I thought maybe, just maybe if I could cut the ties... the hurting would stop.

_Coward.

Nephrite almost snapped his neck as he turned toward her in surprised anger... and was that a shadow of guilt flashing on his face?

_What was that?

_I said, coward – the copper-haired girl turned to him, projecting all the anger, disappointment, disapproval, hurt, pain... all that she had been suppressing ever since she was forced to leave with her captors, at what she deemed an inadequate explanation, resurfaced.

_All you did was running away when that person needed you the most. Instead of healing the hurt together... you dug it deeper. You let that person down. You hurt her.

_Whoever said it was a woman? – the driver yelled, blood began creeping onto his face.

_You. Your tone. Your bodily movement. Your word choice. And most telling, your eyes, - Copper-chan smirked - You still feel guilty, don't you? You still wonder how she's doing, if she still hates you... but you don't dare to come back and make amends. You don't _dare_. And that told me all that you are.

She took a deep breath, looking him dead in the eyes while delivering her final verdict.

_A coward.

Nephrite gripped the wheel, trying his best to suppress the memories that had been resurfacing, resisting the urge to put the girl in her place. He was notorious for his temper... and she was challenging him, he could tell via the corner of his eyes, piling up all the hurt from her experiences onto his intense guilt, the unresolved link in his past.

_Get out.

_What?

_You wanted to get out on this dark street, wander in this metropolis, chewing over and over on the hurt that had been wrongly pushed onto you by another... then do it. Do it, if it pleases you. But get out of my car. The only person who could condemn me over that... your instinct is right, it's a woman, it's _her_, and only her. Not you. Not someone who tries to sort out her own issues by projecting it onto another.

The door opened, and before Nephrite could take in the whiff of cold air, it slammed shut.

He watched her copper hair flying behind her as she ran around the dark corner before starting the engine and drove away, his mind filled with the image of another lady and all that he had been cherishing about their mutual past, working his nerves so he could best suppress the longing to be back to that past once again.

Deep in his own thoughts, the auburn-haired man did not notice a car parked on the other side of the road, in which sat a silver-haired man behind the wheel.

A corner of his lips curved up as he watched the unmarked sports car speeding away, Ace/Voxley smirked in satisfaction, noting to himself that almost all the players in the game had appeared.

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile.<em>

_Are you sure you don't want to stop somewhere, V?

_I'm okay with driving around. But you're off-duty now, you can finally decide where to go without the customer's dictating.

Kale chuckled, raising the coffee can from the cupholder to slightly clanked against hers.

_Cheers.

Mina smiled to herself, momentarily forgetting her objective in staying out.

* * *

><p><em>Back at the apartment complex.<em>

_To recap, Mina and Mako-chan called within minutes of each other to say they would be out for a bit, after we here received the late-night news report that the location Mina used to stay undercover at is destroyed with what seemed to be a time bomb, and the one casualty is the oil tycoon's secretary she stole data from?

Rei nodded to her blonde leader, adding:

_Mina's former roommate, Naru Osaka, affectionately nicknamed Copper-chan because of her hair colour, was held hostage by Ace and taken to God-knows-where, correct?

_Yes, - Ami answered, not looking up from her tablet – and from the preliminary report, she was at least uninjured.

_But gone.

At their leader's conclusion, the raven-haired woman looked down, dejected. As a team they had always tried to avoid collateral damage... and this time, such an important mission had already killed one civilian, coupled with another's disappearance.

_That could be why Mina didn't return, - Usagi mused – She's blamed herself again.

_But why were the calls separated? They left together.

_They couldn't have been separated on scene, Mina didn't have another means of transportation.

Ami frowned, but she hadn't had time to add her two cents to the conversation when her own cell phone rang.

_Who's... oh, Ryo-kun.

Rei eyed her blue-haired friend curiously.

_Why would your boyfriend call so late?

Ami didn't have time to answer. Ryo Urawa hated being kept on hold when he called.

_Hello, Ryo-kun?

_I'm at home, why?

_Eh?

_You're... joking... right?

_Come on, Ryo-kun, it's not funny. Don't joke like...

_No no, I didn't mean to sound like that... I'm not ordering you around... I'm just...

_No... wait! Hello? Ryo-kun? Hello?

_I have to call him back, - Ami muttered, suddenly forgetting she was in the same room as her two roommates.

Rei glanced at Usagi, unsure of what could have transpired when her own cell phone rang, reminding her she had a text.

_What the... oh dear, can't he just go to bed? Drunken idiot...

_Who's that? – Usagi eyed her curiously.

_Who else, that pain in the ass of a boss.

Usagi held in a chuckle. For all she knew, Jefferson seemed quite taken with her raven-haired teammate. Too bad Rei was too stubborn to even notice.

"Why don't you just get some rest like normal people, sir?" Rei glared at her own cell phone, as if the irritation was transmissible by text messages.

"Ouch. Are you calling me abnormal, Rei?"

"I'm asking you to please act like ordinary bosses and not text me after midnight", Rei almost growled in frustration as she hit Send.

_He broke up with me.

_What? – Rei whipped around, uncertain if Ami had actually said what she just heard.

_Ryo broke up with me.

Ami sat herself down on the couch, clutching her phone, still not believing what had just happened.

They had been together for three years, ever since they met at the laboratory Ami had been supervising a project at. Ryo was her assistant, with whom she had been inseparable ever since he asked her out over an after-hours cocktail. More importantly... he had been her sanctuary after every mission, the safe place she could come back to and relax herself.

All that they had together was then the past.

The blue-haired genius stood up just as abruptly and disappeared behind the blue door of her bedroom before anyone could add in a word.

Usagi looked over at Rei, worry evident in her eyes. Among the team, Ami was the one with the most fragile trust and even more delicate sense of loyalty. Trust was not her forte, and the bluenette thought the worse of almost everyone in an attempt of preventing possible hurt to herself.

And when Urawa made an attempt to open that closed door, Usagi had been more than pleased to see her friend starting to walk out of the shell, loneliness gradually being shed away like water brushing daily by a stone on the riverbank. Then... the guy suddenly informed her of the unexpected changed feelings and breakup.

The blonde could not help narrowing her eyes in anger, even though she had been the most supportive of the two's relationship and had liked the dark-haired boy when she ran into Ami during the latter's dates sometimes, knowing without saying that he was the bluenette's type to boot, starting with physical appearance. Even though she knew the reason was most likely two-sided, the first thought that came to her mind was that next time she would like to greet Urawa with her fist.

_I knew it.

_Eh? – Usagi turned to her raven-haired teammate, curiosity mixed with confusion was evident in her voice as she sought the latter's gaze.

_That boy didn't match her.

Rei looked to the window, shaking her head.

_He was too young for her. Not in physical age – she eyed Usagi who was indeed ready for a retort – in mindset. He hadn't sown all his wild oats, his idea of a good time always involved wine... Ami needs someone less inclined to spend every date as an evening out and be content with staying in with her for the night... yet still have fun nonetheless. He was seeking a queen of the spotlight... and he came to a scientist who comes on stage simply because for her it's just work.

Catching the blonde's surprised expression, she shook her head again.

_I've thought about it for a while... but I didn't want to play sabotage.

The bluenette chose that moment to appear from behind her door in a blue skirt that accentuated her body, reaching down past her knees, and blue high platforms with clear heels that glimmered in the living-room light as if they contained some sort of liquid.

Reading the look of panic on the raven-haired woman's face, Ami shook her head, sending the two teammates a small smile.

_Yes I heard. Yes, it's true. No, I'm not okay. I'm out to the bar a little. Let me think about it.

Those words were enough to quickly dissuade any intention Usagi had held in joining the team genius. Instead, she nodded, sending her off with a wave.

_Be safe, Ami-chan.

_I will, - the blue-haired woman nodded in response, leaning a bit toward the kitchen to claim the spare keys hung next to the door, and quietly headed out.

_Rei-chan... do you think she'll be okay? – the question escaped Usagi as soon as she heard the front door closed.

_After my analysis, yes – the raven-haired woman chuckled. You know Ami, Usagi. She's like a ball, she'll bounce right back up after she hit the ground. I've noticed it for a long time... but I respect Ami's decision. After all, dating colleagues is never a good idea.

The blonde was about to laugh along when her eyes caught the ring she still wore on her ring finger.

_Never a good idea to date a colleague..._

"Ding!"

_What the... oh, not again – Rei whined, taking Usagi's mind away from memories as she took out her cell phone another time, and yelled at the inanimate object as she read the new text message

_WHAT?

_What do you mean, "what?" – the blonde looked at her teammate with curiosity a second time. Rei seemed clearly torn between a chuckle and a scowl, and in response she turned the phone toward her leader.

" "Not text me after midnight"... Aww, Rei, are you saying you're a Mogwai on a texting diet? That's cute."

Usagi laughed out to herself. Only Jefferson could manage to both compliment the raven-haired woman and annoy her at the same time, with a reference to one of Rei's favourite movies, no less.

_I want to drown this thing in a glass of water. Or soap - Rei muttered as she threw her phone to the adjacent sofa and stood up, heading to the kitchen searching for a snack.

* * *

><p><em>Outside.<em>

Wiping away her own tears, Copper-chan stood up from the alley corner she had been hiding out in, determined to figure out a way out of the unfamiliar neighbourhood so she could contact the only person who cared... who she _thought_ cared. The male captor was able to reach her on the old phone number... she hadn't changed it yet.

Stepping out into the dim light of the deserted street, she had just started walking alongside the pavement when a car pulled up next to her.

_Where you heading, Copper-chan?

The voice was all too familiar.

She slowly turned around, her whole body froze in terror as she recognized the driver in a flash.

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z<p>

**A/N:** _**So sorry for the late update everyone! I realized it's nearly a year since I last updated (wow, time does fly, doesn't it?)**_

_**My hard drive got fried, and I got so overwhelmed with school and everything I completely went on a writer's block -_-**_

_**Anyway, here we go, and thanks for your patience. I'm having some free time, summer and all, so the next update should be within days.**_

_**Ah... it's about time I declared my storyline here, eh? I want to rewrite the Dark Kingdom arc, primarily, to include the SenshiXShitennou pairings. So... heads up ;)**_

_**My thanks to**__ EbonyMitsu_ _**(would you like a prize for the guess on Copper-chan? **__**)**__, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo,_ _wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting __**and**__ an anonymous reviewer_ _**for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**_

_**Until my next chapter,**_

_**Chrys.**_


	8. Lost

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Lost_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em>In a bar near Roppongi, half an hour later.<em>

Tapping her fingers against the carefully polished countertop, the bluenette rested her forehead on the other hand, trying to make sense of what had transpired over the brief phone conversation just half an hour earlier.

__Hello, Ryo-kun?_

__Hi Ami._

Huh, he sounded a bit nervous,_ the blue-haired woman remarked to herself, but her train of thought was interrupted before it could even proceed._

__Where are you now?_

__I'm at home, why?_

__I have a proposition – before Ami could chime in, as was her habit, inquiring what kind of idea it could have been for the usually secure Ryo to sound anxious, he answered the unasked question as quickly as lightning._

__I think we should see other people._

__Eh?_

__You heard me Ami, we should see other people. I don't think this is working out._

"_When did this happen?"_

_"Why didn't you tell me something was wrong?"_

_"Why all of a sudden this?"_

_Questions after questions pounded on the bluenette's mind, but the abruptness of the breakup took her by complete surprise, and she could only choke out a few words, jumbled, confused, unworthy of her genius title._

__You're... joking... right?_

__No, I'm not. Ami, stop being in denial. I... just don't feel it any more._

__Come on, Ryo-kun, it's not funny. Don't joke like..._

__You're doing that again, Ami, ordering me around. You always bring work into us, telling me what to do. I know I'm your research assistant but frankly, I'm sick of it all; didn't you even notice?_

__No no, I didn't mean to sound like that... I'm not ordering you around... I'm just..._

__Anyway, that's all the reason for my call. Bye._

__No... wait! Hello? Ryo-kun? Hello?_

__I have to call him back, - Ami muttered, suddenly forgetting she was in the same room as her two roommates._

_Dashing into her blue-walled bedroom, she dialed his number over and over again, slowly shrinking to the floor as she realized he was not going to pick up._

_Cell phone clutched in hand, she walked toward the wardrobe as if in a daze, seeking to relieve the unpleasant surprise the only way she knew how._

_Don't feel it any more..._ Eyebrows furrowed, Ami shook her head, looking over the cocktail bar one more time, left hand running through her hair as she usually did whenever she had a thought-provoking subject.

The bar was almost empty, as it were well past midnight, and save for a couple of about her age sitting near the other end, she could not find any other customer. Nor was the bartender anywhere in sight.

This was her favourite haunt, way back before she had met Usagi, and contrary to the popular belief that personal relationships constructed at the bar scene were never meant to be long-lasting, she also had found a friend and relatively reliable companion in the bartender, a blond man who talked as much as he mixed alcohol. Going by Motoki for his regulars and Blondie for any other customer, he was a simple man who knew how to enjoy life's simple pleasures, and for a while Ami did have a little crush on him, but had graduated past the infatuation stage quickly, especially when she learned he had had a fiancée for the past five years. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Reika worked in a closely related field, and the bluenette savoured those conversations with someone who didn't see her as too much of a genius for comfort.

Her fiancé, on the other hand, was a bit too absent-minded and trusting at times that Ami imagined it must have caused Reika some trouble. Case in point: he usually left the bar unattended during the after-hours socializing reserved for regulars only.

Sometimes it amazed the bluenette how much trust some people had in others. If anything, trust was not her forte.

_Could people fall out of love without noticing, though?_ Ami found herself wondering, recognizing with a mild start that the breakup news from Ryo did not hurt her as much as it should have, if she had still been deeply in love with him as she used to be. If anything, she was just... taken by surprise.

Like an ambush.

And instead of drinking away the sorrow that never was, the bluenette came to the bar finding answers for questions she never voiced.

Deep in thought, Ami only noticed from the corner of her eye a striped long-sleeved shirt moving to behind the counter. Not looking up to verify the actual person, she simply laid her head onto one arm, closed her eyes as she usually did, and asked for her Mojito.

_Mojito for an evening, miss?

The bluenette snapped up, finding herself making eye contact with a pair of emerald eyes that looked every bit calming and gentle as they were vaguely familiar – a sense of familiarity she couldn't quite place.

The man found himself unable to look away from the depth of ocean laid out in front of him, and struggling to tear his gaze away, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen those aqua-coloured eyes somewhere... sometime before... long ago.

Lucky for both, a well-placed yank broke eye contact for them.

_OUCH!

The blond man was yanked backward, his hands instantly went to the back of his neck, and one glance told Ami he had tied his shoulder-length hair into a low ponytail, which was currently held hostage by the almost-missing bartender.

_No seducing my fiancée's new best friend, Zois, - still not releasing the hair, Motoki apologetically turned to the bluenette – sorry about that Ami, he's new, he doesn't know your preference.

_It's alright, - she gave them both a small smile – but you'll pull all his hair out of its roots if you don't let go now.

_As you wish, - Motoki grinned, letting go of the ponytail as suddenly as he had grabbed hold of it, and the blond called Zois almost lost balance, diving face-first into the shot glasses nearby, if the bluenette's reflexes hadn't kicked in, prompting her to prevent his dive by sticking out her arm instinctively.

_Motoki, not very nice, - she chided the bartender lightly, then turned to the blond man; and almost immediately a blush started creeping up her cheeks, for he had, similarly instinctively, grabbed hold of her arm and hadn't let go.

_Whoops, sorry – Zois quickly released her arm, bowing his head a little, both from shame and embarrassment. I didn't hurt you did I, miss?

Ami gave him another small smile, shaking her head.

_Judging by this... um, _familiarity_ – she gestured to Zois' then-messed-up ponytail, earning the bartender a glare from him – I'm guessing you're Motoki's friend. I'm Ami.

_Nice to meet you, Ami – the blond man politely shook her hand – call me Zois.

_Why, "Zois" has a female ring to it, don't you think? - she giggled.

He pouted.

_You're acting more feminine than I am sometimes, sir, if I do say so myself – this time she laughed out loud.

_Actually, it means "life" in...

_... Greek, I know that, - she smiled. Her genius reputation certainly had factual basis. I just feel like pulling your legs a bit, I guess.

_Everyone picks on me, - he half-whined; and Motoki, cheerful as ever, high-fived Ami out of the blue.

_I'm not a high-five fan, Motoki-kun, - the bluenette shook her head, rubbing her palms a little.

_But the situation called for one, - the bartender grinned.

_See, - Zois suddenly chimed in, his face mischievous – she implies an agreement with my assessment that high-fiving is a pointlessly palm-hurting act.

Ami chuckled, recognizing certain patterns in his phrasing that indicated a possibly high level of education.

_A perfectionist like herself, perhaps?_

_Alright, alright, you two geniuses, I can't beat one let alone the both of you, - Motoki sighed loudly. Here are your drinks.

He left the bar to prepare for closing, and Zois walked around the counter to sit a seat away from his new acquaintance out of respect, playing with the lime on the rim of his drink.

_Gin and tonic?

_Mojito?

They smiled at each other.

_Cheers? – Zois offered, raising his rockglass to her own.

_Cheers, - Ami nodded, taking a sip and at the same time taking notice of the blond man's sneak glance at her; she decided to start her own inquiries first.

_I gathered from the conversation that you're a highly intelligent individual?

_I'm not sure about "highly intelligent", - he shook his head – but people do call me a genius for my high IQ. Which is a bit silly really... I mean, you can't really gauge intelligence level entirely by that, contrary to popular beliefs that such an assessment is not only possible but also accurate.

He looked away from his glass to smile at her.

_And you, Ami?

_Right now I'm the research head at...

The sound of glass breaking near the end of the room rudely interrupted her answer, and both whipped around at a speed higher than ordinary people usually would. This time, however, they did not have time to observe each other's reflexes, as a disruptive scene was playing itself out in front of them.

Ami caught her breath as she recognized the dark-haired mess on the floor, near the broken glass, and her eyes unconsciously narrowed as she took notice of a girl in a shortest-possible skirt yelling at Motoki, pointing wildly between the bartender and the other guy.

She quickly hopped off the bar stool and approached them, closely followed by her blond companion.

_How dare you hit him?

_We're closing, m'am. I'm afraid you and your... _friend_ have to move. And we haven't even talked about the amount of damage done to the VIP backroom.

Motoki sounded calm, but the emphasis made on the word _friend_ told a different story. Indeed, he had seen the dark-haired boy many times in his establishment, but it was never empty enough – or the guy was sober enough - for him to recognize that he was Ami's boyfriend. And to the simple man with a strict code of honour he was, cheating was inexcusable.

_Ryo?

_Crap, Ami's still here_, - Motoki cursed inwardly, blaming himself for not checking the inner room before closing the bar to only regulars. Usually he did, but that night, his long-time friend Zois' random arrival, as it was the latter's style, had made him forget completely about proper procedures.

_No wonder Reika kept calling me occasionally scatter-brained_, he thought to himself, unhappily noting the deepening frown on Ami's delicate features.

_So this is why.

Standing to her full height, the bluenette looked down at the girl struggling to help her companion get to his own feet, her voice icier than the bartender had ever heard.

_"I don't feel it any more", are you sure, Urawa? We've made a pact to save the best for marriage, and this is how you _relieve_ yourself?

The blond man stood to a side, hesitating to intervene into something that was not his business.

His resolution changed, nevertheless, as he heard the first word out of the drunk guy's mouth, which could _not_ have been directed at anyone else aside from the bluenette.

_Motherf... you bitch.

Ryo was drunk to the point of incomprehensibility, but what he intended to say escaped nobody's train of thought.

_Prancing around the lab like a queen because you're labelled genius, ordering me around while acting all affectionate outside, suffocating me with your homemade food... bitch, who the heck do you think you are? A _cradle robber_ to boot, that's what!

Glaring at her under the dark-haired bangs, Ryo was about to continue his drunken tirade when a well-placed kick from next to Ami took him down by the stomach.

_That's for trashing my friend's establishment, - Zois stepped aside to avoid collateral damage, and swiftly hit the dark-haired mess in the shoulder, making the latter cry out in pain.

_That's for evidence of cheating.

He lifted the troublemaker by the collar, continuing to surprise Ami not only with his martial arts skills but also the physical strength fairly unpredictable from such a slender man, and hauled him to the door while the short-skirt "date" followed suit, terrified.

_Now scram before we call 110, - he suddenly released Ryo's collar, letting the dark-haired mess fall into a drunken heap on the floor, and turned to see Motoki stare at him wide-eyed.

_You didn't know that before, - the bartender looked at him, not hiding his intense surprise, his eyes twinkling with satisfaction at justice well served.

_I live alone, so I learned.

Answering Motoki, but the blond man's eyes searched for Ami, ignoring another cowering, unrelated couple near the back sofa who had been standing by from the start, making no move to aid either side.

There she was, standing perfectly still, staring at the spilled red wine on the floor, her blue hair cupped around and shadowed her face, which left Zois no clue as to whether or not she was emotionally affected by the situation, or if she even bothered to display any such emotion in the first place.

Motoki followed his gaze, and sighed inwardly to himself as he nudged his friend slightly toward the bluenette, whispering.

_Do me a favour and make sure she gets home safely, or Reika will have my hide as her next specimen.

Without a word, Zois stepped toward the blue-haired woman, and gently tugged on her arm – the exact same spot he had grabbed onto earlier to avoid falling face-first into the shot glasses.

_... Ami?

She whipped around, and once again he looked into her eyes, this time startled at how cold they seemed. It was as if the ocean had frozen into ice, the twinkling as if sunshine was reflecting off its waves had disappeared like the sun itself on a moody day; and for a minute, she stared at him, unreactive, unfeeling, seemingly having frozen herself, until she looked down to his hand wrapped around her wrist, and followed him out without so much as a second word.

* * *

><p><em>Later, on the way back to the apartment complex.<em>

Zois was not entirely sure what would be an appropriate ice-breaker. Aside from giving him directions, it seemed as if the engaging bookworm from earlier had turned into an unforgiving ice queen whose only purpose was to hitch a ride home in his car like a regular taxi. And having seen her smiles, the blond man suddenly felt the surge of an inexplicable wish to bring some life back to her eyes, even at a substantial cost.

_Here will be fine, - the bluenette requested, and he stopped the car, but reached out and held her left wrist gently as her other hand had been to the door handle.

_I'm sorry.

_What for? – Ami eyed him curiously, half-offended, half-grateful. She had always operated on a "I need no pity" platform, but in his eyes, his posture, his voice, she recognized a kind of concern deeper than words.

It almost felt like... he _cared_ for her.

Even though they just met... it almost felt like he cared _deeply_ for her.

_Nonsense_, she chided herself mentally, upset that her current emotional state was _not helping her deduction_. _If anything, it only escalated the situation_, she sighed inwardly, turning to look into his eyes without thinking.

He caught her gaze.

Deep blue met emerald green.

And neither wanted to look away.

Almost naturally, the bluenette closed her eyes.

Almost naturally, the blond man leaned in.

The spontaneous kiss started out gentle, as were their respective personalities, but slowly turned sensual at the same time that it radiated something yet to be defined. She ran her hands through his ponytail, noting to herself vaguely that the feeling was so familiar yet so difficult to place. He playfully tickled the back of her head, unconsciously giving in to a sense of familiarity and security he coudn't recall having felt, but knowing with certainty he had experienced it sometime, somewhere. And suddenly, losing a bit of control wasn't so much of a threat as it was willingness, readiness, and a desire for exploration.

They would have continued to be absorbed in each other, if his car phone hadn't picked that exact moment to do its duty.

Their eyes simultaneously snapped open, and before Zois could call out a word, Ami had ripped away from his embrace and into the night, leaving the car door hanging open.

Slamming the passenger door with more than mere annoyance, the blond man suddenly turned serious as he picked up the insistently ringing phone.

_Zoicite, report.

_Chief, what's wrong? – detecting the urgency in his boss' voice, Zois grudgingly pushed the longing to the back of his mind.

_We can't get a signal from Nephrite's car any more.

* * *

><p>Around the corner, the bluenette stopped, panting, sweating after her mad dash. <em>What was that?<em> she found her flustered side urgently questioning her rational one. The action itself could be rationalized, but what was, or triggered this sense of familiarity, security and longing she hadn't felt for the majority of her life?

And more importantly, she had to find out who that man was.

The vibration near her ankle caught her attention, and Ami quickly withdrew her cell phone from the blue leather pouch strapped near her left foot, a gift from Mina in the previous mission, answering without having time to glance at caller ID.

_Ami-chan, Mina's back... but she's not talking to anyone.

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _**Here we go, the next chapter, as promised. I feel our heroines deserve a break from all the fighting and chasing criminals, don't they? Although I've gotta admit, cliff-hangers are a favourite of mine.**_

_**It's supposed to be a romance/mystery rewriting of the Dark Kingdom arc, so heads up to everyone who likes the Senshi/Shitennou pairings. I'd like to explore the undeveloped canons a bit. And flesh out supporting characters, esp. Naru Osaka/Molly, since I feel she was too much of a damsel in distress in the anime it's kind of annoying.**_

_**I'm sorry for my depiction of Ryo Urawa, I just don't like him =p**_

_**Oh, and I made up the bar, I just didn't make up that area :D**_

_**You guys didn't expect the intimate moment, eh? I promise it's **_**not**_** my attempt to rush things!**_

_**My thanks to**__ EbonyMitsu_ _**, my loyal beta-reader and reviewer**__, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo,_ _wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting __**and**__ an anonymous reviewer_ _**for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**_

_**Until my next chapter,**_

_**Chrys.**_


	9. Return

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[_Return_]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em>Roughly during the time Ami arrived at her favourite bar.<em>

Hitting the brakes with more force than necessary, the auburn-haired man glared at his watch, highly annoyed by the coincidence that he always seemed to run into more blaring red lights than there should have been whenever he found himself in a hurry.

Or rather, whenever he was in need for speeding as an outlet for his emotions.

Nephrite was not an emotional man, a trait he shared with the rest of his investigation squad from the beginning, or maybe it was years working the cutthroat magic as required of their occupation that had imposed upon them all a kind of customary silence, which slowly turned into an advantage. Years of experience had taught him, as it had brutally hammered into the mind of newcomers and forcibly displaced those that could not adapt to the lifestyle, that a display of emotions was one's huge weakness, exposed to be exploited. Of course, that was not the only lesson he had bitterly learned, for a lack of personal relationships and a shaky foundation for anything long-term were secondary, yet almost obligatory by-products.

_It's just... good things don't happen to me often, so when they do, I get scared_.

With a start, the man shook himself out of the memory surge, that one line someone he held dear had said long ago suddenly came back to him within less than a minute of waiting for the red light to turn green. He accelerated, trying to tear into the darkness illuminated under street lights, attempting to disappear into the empty night, or was it the flashback he was trying to leave behind...? For a moment, Nephrite could no longer tell which was which.

Still driving, he cursed the blonde suspect known to them under the alias of Mina V for picking such a night to withdraw from her covert operation, which in turn prompted him to actively leave the base in order to provide assistance for Kunzite, for he was the silver-haired man's second in command, both reporting back only to their chief. Next he grumbled as he recalled the diligent squad genius, who had discovered inconsistencies in a _certain_ non-suspect blonde's schedule, specifically her appearance in places she shouldn't have known of, and speculated a bewildering, though not entirely impossible link between the chief's former fiancée with the mysterious V they were after; and as usual, Nephrite was switched to surveillance instead. Though of course he would have had no way of knowing it would lead to a highway stripping by a bunch of bikers with too much free time on their hands and ending with him attempting to complete his good deed of the day for an unknown copper-haired girl, only to be enraged. If he had known he was only introducing himself to more troubling thoughts, he would have avoided the task at all cost.

_Coward._

The petite brunette's words were still ringing in his mind like a persistent wasp sting, and Nephrite simply couldn't brush the little criticism aside as easily as he would have liked to, for it was a merciless jab, albeit unknowingly, at one of the few unhealed wounds in his mind. With his understanding in psychology, he understood at least that she was misplacing on him the suppressed feelings of a recent traumatic experience; however, he could not prevent the similarities from triggering in the depths of his thought a memory he had been working to shake.

It wasn't helping that the more he looked at the girl, the more he found himself comparing her to one woman he could never forget, and to whom he probably owed the debt of a lifetime.

Of course, the copper-haired passenger was not _her_; he knew at least that much. Her hair was a few shades too light, her eyes was a few shades off as well, lacking the depth, sincerity, and a mischievous twinkle he never knew he had been missing until his memories flooded back. Even the way his midnight passenger carried herself was different... hell, he knew for a fact _she_ wouldn't react all that lightly to some random guy in a pair of boxers offering her a "ride", as semantically ominous as the word itself was.

Despite the differences, he still found himself assaulted by longing, by memories so far back in his past they almost seemed to have surged back from another lifetime...

_Coward._

Nephrite gritted his teeth. He didn't want to return to the base in such an agitated state, for he knew he would be lashing out at random parties – not that the blond Zoicite was ever innocent enough to _not_ provoke him in some ways, but those jokes had always been of a friendly nature, like it was bound to happen between long-time comrades. He couldn't drive aimlessly any longer, however, or risked catching the attention of some late-night patrol; and with a sigh, the auburn-haired man opted for the second-best alternative.

* * *

><p><em>Half an hour later, undisclosed location.<em>

Makoto shot up with a start, the denim jacket wrapped around her slid effortlessly off her half-asleep body, revealing her own wristwatch's beeping as the source of her sudden alarm.

Two a.m. sharp.

Her eyes darted around quickly, scanning the environment for any suspicious activity. No, the rooftop was as empty as it had been when she first came, as it always had been every time she arrived seeking refuge.

The brunette eyed her wristwatch with irritation and a dash of suspicion. True, it was the daily alarm she had set for her nightly ritual, a habit she had acquired and maintained ever since her father was alive. A well-known physicist with a much-lesser known interest in astronomy, after a bitter divorce with her mother, a woman more concerned with social advancement and prestige than she was with a five-year-old bundle of energy, he had taken to observing the stars with his little girl every night, in lieu of bedtime stories that never managed to put her to bed.

She remembered vaguely the gentle caress of her hair, the excitement, and most of all the relaxed feeling as her father tucked her into bed after she fell asleep in his lap next to the telescope.

She remembered like yesterday the moment it was announced live on television, interrupting a nature show she was fond of watching, that the plane carrying him home from an overseas conference had crashed into the ocean, killing everyone on board, and violently shook her out of the sheltered life she had been leading up until that point, then unceremoniously tossed her into the streets.

Her relatives had not waited to show their motives, but she was not prepared to witness it all – the ugly dissection of her father's fortune, the hushed whispering of her classmates about how she was bad luck every time she walked by, and the last straw that had sent her running from her childhood home, a threat from her paternal aunt after she refused to go to bed at 10, that such an unruly little girl was to attend an orphanage in order to "straighten her out".

Makoto was young then, and her youth alerted a primal instinct to her plight.

_The brunette looked up at her opponents, coughing, but no longer strong enough to wipe away the blood streaming from her head that was slowly blinding her to the dimly lit surrounding. She closed her eyes to the kicks in the stomach, the blows to her side, intending to tough it out until they became bored and left, but her blood soon run cold in her veins as she overheard their lewd discussions of yet _another_ way, the ultimate strategy to breaking a woman once and for all, a dirty tactic only resorted to by the lowest scum of the streets, the ones with the most fragile ego and a burning desire to assert their territory no matter what._

_After all, she was simply a young woman who had recklessly and in many ways, foolishly moved into their trading areas, seeking to make ends meet on lesser-priced drug runs that eventually got on the nerves of the dominant gang leader._

_After all, she was simply a young woman who, in a moment of carelessness, had been lured out to a dark alley and beaten nearly into submission, save for the defiant glare she levelled at them every time they kicked her battered form._

_After all, she was simply a young woman who, at that time, was completely defenseless in front of a bunch of power-hungry street thugs._

_Makoto willed her eyes to open, willing herself to stand up and fight like she had initially did and succeeded in doing, if a cowardly member of the ambushers had not sneaked up on her armed with a large rock._

_She realized, to her horror, that she could not stand up. Her legs no longer obeyed her, and in fact she wouldn't be surprised to find out she had broken a few ribs. Street thugs were the worst. Shunned by society, often abused or neglected by their families, they banded together, thirsting for the illusion of power that a pack mentality often brought about, seeking to terrorize, intimidate, rule, inadvertently replicating and expanding the very hierarchy of injustices that had pushed them into their blind alley in the first place._

_She realized, in blind panic and self-pity, that the gang leader was now advancing on her menacingly, fully intending to flesh out his lewd threat._

"_Leave her alone"._

_A strange voice rang out, one she had never heard before in the area, one laden with concerns and reassurance, one that shot through her body like a bolt of lightning, forcing her to open her eyes again, trying to register in the dim light the lone figure of her saviour._

"_What was that, fag?"_

"_I said leave her alone."_

No, _she wanted to scream out to him – her acute sense of hearing, despite the damages, had registered the speaker as a man – _leave when you can, stranger; you're alone!_; she had wanted to warn him, with her dying strength, that he was about to interrupt a wild pack of hungry wolves ready to feast upon their felled prey, and that such disruptions, especially in the urban jungle, never, _ever_ ended well._

_But try as she might, she could not get a vowel out. _

_Her whole body ached with each breath as she worriedly listened on, her eyes slowly widening as she heard the sound of bodies hitting the ground one by one, as if by an invisible force._

_But that couldn't be... he was alone._

Makoto threw her head back, gazed at the stars dancing above her, and shook her ponytail lightly to release herself from the spell of a memory long past.

Try as she might, she could not deny that those follow-up months were one of the best times of her life. Next to her saviour, she could relax again, allow her mellow side to surface again... and just when she started to heal from her mental wounds, he disappeared.

No warning, no notes left behind, no goodbye... he just disappeared from her life, as suddenly as he had appeared, like a breeze in the driest month of a tropical land, rare and satisfying but fleeting, never meant to last.

Sometimes she wondered if it was all a months-long daydream.

She closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her face as she lost herself once again in reminiscence.

_For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own._

With her eyes closed, her body leaned back onto the door leading downstairs right behind her, the brunette did not notice an auburn head appearing on the roof of the building opposite to hers, and with the chest-high fence on her side, neither did the newcomer notice he was not as alone, even up high, as he had hoped.

* * *

><p><em>A little later, back at the apartment building.<em>

Makoto carefully changed the overall paint of her vehicle back into blue - she had not bothered after the fight with Mina, or during her stargazing expedition - before pulling into the brightly lit, CCTV-monitored parking lot of the apartment complex. Cautiously casting a surveying glance over her surrounding, she slowly exited the now-blue Berlinette, her mind automatically going over the events of that night, hoping to find a better explanation of why the mission had failed.

The red sports car must have been following them for quite a time, blending in with traffic, and it was only when they turned onto more isolated areas that its presence became known to her and Mina.

_Mina... _A twinge of guilt tugged the strings of Makoto's heart. Deep down, she knew she had no right to open up old wounds, their long-standing friendship or comradeship be damned. Everyone had something they'd prefer to leave behind - the brunette would have been no more thrilled if another teammate had dug up her past.

At the same time, though, she knew the blonde had been carrying that burden for so long, and supposedly so well-concealed, but one that peeked out every time the team encountered obstacles, especially those that, she imagined, must have bore strong resemblance to her time spent by Ace's side. She had seen the blonde shiver when she thought no one was looking, had noticed her gripping her own wrist with a free hand when she thought no one paid attention, that one time when they collaborated with the bureau for an investigation into a string of brutal murders of a bizarrely ritualistic nature. They had been able to save the last victim alive, but the girl, who could not be any older than fifteen, was in a catatonic state, no doubt a direct consequence of what she had seen, being held captive in the sicko's basement, with the only source of light being a small window all the way up the wall, which the prisoner could only see, but never touch.

_Forever out of reach_.

"They're better off in the dark. That way, my presence would be the only source of light _within reach_ that they had ever known", the deranged biochemistry student had leered at his last victim with those words right before being taken away. The brunette had seen Mina's hands curled into fists, an explicit show of aggression for someone with a constantly cheerful and gentle demeanor. Nor had she missed the curious gleam in her teammate's eyes as the latter looked over the recovered victim – not sorrow, not empathy, but something mixed in between, something that drew others in with the depth of unspoken feelings just beneath the surface, something that tugged at one's heartstrings, demanding recognition but not pity, understanding but not generalizing, all mixed with an extra dash of eternal regret.

It was understandable, if not expected – Mina had never forgiven herself for allowing herself to be lured into Ace's clutches.

The blonde was an expert at acting, for the psychopath had trained her well, but Makoto's time on the streets taught her better.

Mina had been putting on a brave face on her constant run from the ghosts of her past, had been overcompensating and plunging herself into danger such as this undercover mission, trying with all her might to right what once went wrong, hoping for a release from those haunting years alongside someone she thought she could trust.

Mina had been smiling for the world, but kept her pain to herself, a common practice in a world such as theirs, where a show of sorrow is an invitation to attacks.

But among her teammates, she was home.

And it was about time to seal her past away for good.

_Guys, I'm back – the brunette called out as she withdrew her keys and opened the door to a pair of amethyst eyes that belonged to the lone teammate lounging on the couch.

_Finally – Rei looked up from her laptop, her voice sarcastic, but her eyes were full of concern.

_Mina's locked herself in her room, - the raven-haired woman continued as nonchalantly as possible.

Makoto narrowed her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Mina's room.<em>

_Mina-chan, open up... please?

_Is Mako back yet?

_No, but...

The blonde covered her ears with her hands, ignoring the growing worry in Usagi's voice, refusing to even crack the door a bit.

_Mina, please – the bluenette chimed in, knocking gently on the door.

_Send Mako in here when she gets back, - Mina shook her head to the closed door and threw the blanket over herself.

_I'm here.

The curt announcement was followed by repeated smacking sound.

_Speak of the devil_, - Mina thought to herself and called out from under the blanket:

_Stop hitting the door, you'll hurt your hand.

_Then stop hiding.

_I need some time.

The smacking became more insistent.

_Mina, - the brunette raised her voice – don't make me break down the door.

No response.

_I'll count to three.

Still no response.

_Mi-na-ko.

Silence stubbornly reigned.

Usagi tugged on the brunette's sleeve from behind, fully believing she would follow through with her threat.

_One.

_Two.

_Thr...

The door swung open. Mina stood before her teammates, hands on her hip, her golden hair in disarray, traces of tears faintly stained her face.

_What?

The brunette gave her a stern look.

_Nightly review.

_You mean _failure review_.

_Please don't be difficult, Mina-chan, - Usagi looked at her pleadingly. Whatever happened... we need to know, as does Luna-san.

Mina averted her eyes.

_Madam won't be too happy to hear... ow!

Patience running dangerously low, Makoto had taken advantage of the distracted moment to box the blonde's ear, and dragged her past the room's threshold with the same grip.

_ Kino Makoto... ow... let me... ow... go!

_As you wish, - the brunette suddenly released her reddening ear, causing Mina to stumble, but the former caught her almost immediately and held her in a tight embrace, whispering loud enough for their other teammates to hear:

_Then... stop running away.

Usagi turned to the resident genius in confusion.

Both saw Mina took a deep breath as Makoto released her, and the brunette looked at her encouragingly, nodding in a sisterly manner.

When they turned the corner into the living room, Rei had finished setting up the necessary equipments, and waving for them to settle in, she picked up the headset with her other hand.

As usual, the other line picked up after three rings.

_Password? – a familiar voice rang out.

_ _Eneles_.

An image of a thirty-something woman in a black turtleneck filled the screen, purple highlights in her wavy black hair illuminated in the faint glow of the monitor, and she nodded to the whole team in greeting.

_Luna-san, - everyone collectively greeted in return.

_I caught the news, - she held up a hand as soon as Usagi was about to speak. I'm assuming the whereabouts of Venus' former roommate remain unknown?

_Yes, madam – Mina glanced away after her own answer, hands covering her knees, wanting to withdraw into herself as if she was part turtle.

Luna-san nodded, listening on as Usagi summarized the events of the night.

_... and that's all we've known so far, madam, - the blonde leader finished and reached out, gently squeezing Mina's hand while they all waited for further instructions.

The few seconds of silence, during which only typing sounds could be heard from the other end, felt to Mina like an eternity of judgement. Luna-san was infamous for being unforgiving of mistakes, especially ones committed in junction with shrouded feelings. She braced herself for whatever criticisms that were coming her way, suddenly finding her lap a more interesting subject than making eye contact with anyone present.

Finally, the woman on the other end spoke her name.

_Venus.

_Yes, madam – the blonde looked up, determined to face the consequences of her own actions, past and present alike.

_You did well.

Mina stared at the image, startled.

_No, I didn't._

The guilt flared up with her own unspoken retort, burning beneath the surface, eating away at her as if it was poison of a slowly injected kind, poison of a time she thought she had left behind, gradually consuming her to a point where she almost missed what was said next.

_It is about time, Venus – Luna-san twirled a stray strand of her hair, not breaking eye contact, and the blonde held her breath, waiting for the judgement she was sure would come to pass.

_Ace is a formidable opponent. But not an _invincible_ one.

She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head, and the hidden encouragement was clear.

For the first time after returning to the complex, a small smile slowly formed on Mina's face.

Once again, she was reminded of why she had joined and remained with the team.

Once again, unconditional acceptance and timely forgiveness.

_Sera, - Luna-san turned to Usagi – proceed as planned. The shipment should arrive in one and a half day's time. Remember, none of the contraband can be allowed to make it out of the port.

_Yes, m'am.

_Ah, just now – the woman looked to her side, where, the team assumed, her netbook was located – intel informed us that Ace will be _personally_ receiving the shipment.

Mina's eyes widened.

_Highly unusual if compared to his MO, - the bluenette piped up.

The brunette furrowed her eye brows.

_He has higher interest in Tokyo than some low-level contraband.

_And _we_ have higher interest in him than just a smuggling charge, - Luna-san followed up with finality in her tone, and after a wave of dismissal from her, Rei disconnected the call. The message, though unspoken, was clear: nab Ace _and_ whoever was pulling his strings.

As deadly as he was, the psychopath was just a front, a rather violent puppet for someone else – some force far more sinister, with far grander schemes than just stirring up Japan's capital city.

* * *

><p><em>Same time, undisclosed location.<em>

_Hey, Nephrite is back – Zoicite looked away from the display screen for the entrance security camera, and a black-haired man nodded from the farthest corner, putting down the set of cards in front of the silver-haired taxi driver.

He turned back to the screen, noting that Nephrite was now approaching the elevator door in a strangely crouching manner, only to whip around again, this time hands over his eyes, shaking his head in disapproval.

_What's wrong?

_Our racer is stripped down to his boxers, - the genius shrieked indignantly – My eyes!

Kunzite raised an eyebrow.

_Surveillance gone horribly wrong, eh, - the blond genius drawled.

_I still find the allegation that Miss Tsukino could be involved with Mina V in some way outrageous, - the silver-haired man remarked, calmly sipping his coffee.

_Usako is sometimes too much of a softie for her own good, - the black-haired man shook his head, glancing over the ring finger on his left hand, where a faint circle was still obvious enough to be noticed.

_Ooh, here's our impromptu boxer model, - Zoicite turned back to covering his eyes as they all heard the familiar sound of a key being turned in the lock.

The front door opened a crack, and the auburn-haired man slunk through in embarrassment.

_Oh quit it, pretty boy – he growled as soon as he spotted the blond man on the chair opposite the door - As if you've _never_ seen me this way before.

The black-haired man spat out his coffee, making Kunzite jump.

_That sounded _so_ wrong, - he blurted between cough, and Nephrite hissed "Chief!" through gritted teeth, his face turning a healthy crimson colour.

_Yeah, that swim meet traumatized me enough, thanks – Zoicite mumbled, turning back to the display screen while tossing a key over his shoulder.

_I messed with your lock – the blond man said as if it was a daily occurrence – but I'm taking pity on you today.

Nephrite caught the key mid-air and disappeared in the direction of his quarter, grumbling all the way.

_Quite an eventful night – the black-haired man remarked, finally recovering from his coughing fit – And you said, - he turned to Kunzite – you spent the last couple of hours with Mina V?

Zoicite whipped around again so fast his chair spinned on its wheels and smacked against the desk.

_Say what now?

* * *

><p>_One more thing – Makoto tugged on Usagi's sleeve as the blonde stood up, preparing to put away the briefing documents - I'd like to move out.<p>

Mina's head snapped up, guilt flashed through her eyes, and she exclaimed in unison with the team leader.

_What?

_Wait, what? Why?

Makoto had allowed her eyes a moment of rest, but the string of question, she correctly assumed, would belong to Usagi, as it usually was when the blonde dropped her leadership demeanor.

_You heard me. We aren't in a horror movie, so it should be safe enough to split up.

_Is it because...

_Not _you_, - the brunette shook her head, shooting the suddenly timid Mina a meaningful look - it's the red sports car. If it was following one of us, it would be safer to not put all the peas in one pod.

_But we've always... – the blonde protested, not quite believing.

_We can't be too careful in dealing with Kaitou Ace, and whoever this newbie is. Frankly, I'm intrigued.

The brunette stood up, withdrawing her phone, glancing over her shoulder.

_I'll call Haruka to see if we can get a physical description. Mina, plug in the ring. We need that picture, however blurry, saved in our database.

_And I have to prepare to welcome a visiting scientist tomorrow afternoon, - Ami sighed.

* * *

><p><em>Location undisclosed.<em>

_Let... me... go! – Copper-chan struggled against the binds that held her to the metal chair, yelling into the darkness.

She had been there for how long, she had no idea. The only source of light was all the way up the wall, forever out of reach even if she was freed from her bounds.

The air felt damp, and judging by the angle of light on the floor, the petite brunette guessed she was being held captive in a basement somewhere.

Her eyes had not adjusted to the darkness.

It seemed a long time since she last ate, though it could merely be a few hours. Lost in an unknown space, it was not uncommon for hostages to lose track of time.

And worst of all, nobody knew she was captured off the street.

Not even the kind stranger she had forgotten to thank, who had trusted her enough to let her see a glimpse of his life story, and kind enough to drive her back from the city outskirts.

There was no witness.

And nobody was coming for her.

Copper-chan grit her teeth to hold in the sob that threatened to escape her throat.

_Nobody was coming for her._

* * *

><p>~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~<p>

**A/N:** _**Sorry for the looong break, everyone. To quote one of my favourite fanfiction writers, Jecir, "life happened". Though I admit I've also been a bit lazy, too =]**_

_**Here we go, finally all main characters are here! Phew. I know, I know, if you were in this story, that must have been an unbelievably long night. I sometimes lose track of certain details - only small ones, I promise! - so if you see anything out of place or doesn't make sense/doesn't fit in with the storyline, please let me know in the comments!**_

_**My thanks to**__ EbonyMitsu__**, my loyal beta-reader and reviewer (You summoned Nephrite and Makoto, so here they are, Eb! =])**__, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo,_ _wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting, princessKatAngela, WhiteInfinity21 __**and**__ an anonymous reviewer_ _**for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**_

_**Until my next chapter,**_

_**Chrys.**_

_**PS: I do apologize if the language offended someone. I'm in no way against homosexuality, I promise.**_


	10. Dawn

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[**_**Dawn**_**]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><strong>My hope is on fire<br>My dreams are for sale**

She shifted uncomfortably, rolling over on her back, her body strangely contorting as if fighting against an invisible enemy, the blanket dangling precariously off one side of the bed as sweat began to form above her eye brows.

_Smoke surrounded her, prickling at the corner of her eyes, but even without her vision she could feel a sticky substance trickling down the side of her head._

_Blood._

**I dance on a wire  
>I don't want to fail her<strong>

_Sounds of a fierce battle that she could not see assaulted her senses as she forced herself to her feet and broke into a wild run across the bloodied ground, careful even in her hurry not to trample over any of the fallen, praying that all hopes were not lost as she heeded her heart's call, following a telepathic connection that directed her to people who needed her the most._

* * *

><p><strong>I walk against the stream<br>Far from what I believe in**

She gripped the corner of her pillow in an attempt to determine her surroundings. _No, this doesn't make sense... here was her bedroom..._

The pull of something unpredictable interrupted her line of reasoning, and she felt herself falling deeper into the pit of the unknown, walking along the fading corridor of nightmare lane.

_Emanating from a dark corner behind her was a shrill laugh, devoid of humour and any trace of humanity, and instinctively, she turned on her heels, ready to face the henchman – or rather, henchwoman – of unspeakable evil, her mind suddenly clear and tranquil, prepared and assured with an experienced warrior's lifetime of knowledge._

_Red eyes bore into her with malicious curiosity, and the caricature that once was a honest soul howled with laughter again before it spoke, its voice sending chills down her spine, invading her mind with images of corpses, hopeless cries and flashes of blood spewing on the ground, threatening to sever her telepathic link, her only connection to hope and the prevailing of good over evil._  
>_<em>Why don't you admit it, little brave one? The person you've spent all your life protecting no longer requires anyone's protection... As safe as <em>dead_ can be._

_Terror shot through her at that very moment as she recognized the telepathic bond fading away, but she shook her head and thrust her hands forward in a surprise attack, denying to her rational mind the very conclusion it had been forming as soon as the creature opened its mouth._

**I run towards the end  
>Trying not to give in<strong>

_Before she could complete her spell, the creature vanished into a tornado of smoke that blinded her yet again, and it did not take long for the wounded warrior to realize that was merely an apparition, a decoy to delay her from reaching the ones who needed her the most._

_Cursing in a manner very unlike the usual her, she again took off in a run, focusing all her mental strength on maintaining the telepathic bond that faltered and wavered faster than the speed at which her physical body could take her to the designated location._

_She could feel her body threatening to collapse, her limping legs threatening to give way, but still she persisted._

_She had to find _her_._

* * *

><p><strong>She's lost in the darkness<br>Fading away  
>I'm still around here<br>Screaming her name**

_She stopped dead in her track as the fires of hell burned skyhigh before her eyes, forming a deadly wall of defense, shielding the force of unspeakable evil within from her futile attacks, hiding from her the one person she was seeking, and as she stood in defeat, her hands hung limply at her side, she realized with horror that the hellfire was feeding off the blood dripping from her various wounds. The heat grew more intense as she once again called upon her planetary power, intended to at least decrease the inadvertent supply of power for the enemies, if her strength was no longer under her command._

_A faint cry permeated the air, and her whole body shook uncontrollably as she took in the sound, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the fading telepathic bond. _It could not be!

**She's haunting my dreamworld  
>Trying to survive<strong>

_Sensing movement behind her back, she whipped around sharply, only for the battlefield to fade before her eyes, and within the blink of an eye, she found herself surrounded in a thick twirl of silver mist._

_Something was burning on her forehead, and she reached up with blood dripping from the tips of her fingers only to rip her hand away in alarm, as a bright beam began to emanate from and spread on her skin, amidst the burning sensation._

_A haunting melody began to fill the air, and even as she recognized the tune, she could not make out the words. And even as she could not understand the lyrics, the song itself called to her, awakening in her senses a strange pull, allowing her blind eyes to see, for the first time, a fading figure separated from her by the mist._

__Please... you must find her._

_She found herself frozen on the spot, unable to speak as the figure's message danced around her. The melody began to seep through her torn clothing like some sort of liquid, and to her surprise, she found that where it could reach her cut-open skin, a cooling sensation began to spread from the contact point, sealing away the blood._

**My heart is frozen  
>I'm losing my mind<strong>

* * *

><p>She twisted and turned on her bed, hands began flailing wildly to situate herself somewhere... anywhere, as long as she could be away from the scene of death and destruction, of lost and never found.<p>

She was a scientist...

__Please... find her before it's too late._

... and a scientist needed facts to work with...

_She struggled to voice her question, but found she could not escape the silence spell._

... not dreams...

__... before it's too late..._

__... Venus._

* * *

><p>Mina shot up from her bed, and before rationality could return to her mind, her feet already carried her to the door, which she opened, and followed a higher calling she had yet to understand down the corridor.<p>

**Help me, I'm buried alive**

She was still groggy as she snapped open the blue door, heading straight for the bed Ami was thrashing about on, and proceeded to shake the latter awake from the dream that had been tormenting her, despite being half-asleep herself.

**Buried alive**

* * *

><p>The bluenette's eyes shot open, and she instinctively reached for the box of tissue on her night stand to wipe away the sweat that had broken out all over her forehead.<p>

She gasped as she saw the blonde sitting on her bedside.

_Mina?

The sound of her name jolted the blonde awake, and she stared at the bluenette open-mouthed, not sure what to make of the situation.

It was Ami who broke the awkward silence.

_How did you end up here?

_I'm not sure myself – Mina fidgeted uncomfortably. I just... kind of woke up and before I knew it, I was here shaking you awake from whatever it was that was bugging you in your sleep.

_Thanks, Mina – the bluenette offered her a small smile, patting her friend's hand. I'm okay now... I think. It was just a weird dream.

_Or was it?_

Something prickled at her subconscious.

_What time is it... – Ami reached for her bedside clock, still yawning. Moments ater, she hastily jumped off the bed, the force of her sudden movement made the blonde bounce slightly towards the pillows.

_It's 7 am! And the visiting scholar arrives at 9! Oh boy, why didn't my alarm go off today?

Mina laughed at the rare sight of the team genius being in a hurry.

_Can I just resume my nap here, Ami-chan? I'm too tired to walk back to my room.

_Sure you are, - the bluenette smiled sarcastically, but waved her approval to the blonde, who promptly leaned into the messy blanket and fell asleep as if she had never awoken.

_Find who?_

Ami pushed the burning question, the only remnant of her strange dream – _dream? But it all felt so vivid, so _real_, as if she had been running to that unknown destination on the bloodied battlefield_ - to the back of her mind as she prepared to leave for the laboratory.

Still, she could not ignore another, newly emerged question that had bothered her ever since the blonde shook her awake.

She was not screaming. Not very loudly, at least.

And certainly not loudly enough to bypass the mildly soundproof barrier of her room, one she had erected out of courtesy for her friends and flatmates, for the bluenette was a workaholic that often brought her experiments home, and sometimes the chemicals did not agree with one another enough to prevent reactions and noises that outsiders would consider alarming.

_Then, why was Mina the only one that came to her aid, while her room was at the other end of the hall?_

* * *

><p>Ami pushed that question to the back of her mind too as she slung the messenger bag over her shoulder and closed the door behind. She was a scientist, a scientist running behind schedule, and anyway, a scientist needed facts to work with.<p>

Not dreams. And especially not strange demands from an unknown figure for her to find _Venus_, while the blonde was already sleeping soundly behind the blue door, taking advantage of the lingering warmth in the blue-haired genius' bed.

_The excitement yesterday must have followed into my sleep,_ the bluenette resigned herself to a half-hearted conclusion as she tiptoed toward the main door.

Exiting the complex and heading for the subway station, Ami wondered for the first time after she was inducted into the team, why Luna-san had assigned the five of them such peculiar code names, and why it had seemed so _right_ to her at the time, to accept it without question.

As she progressed down the escalator, catching the train in the nick of time, she made a mental note to do some background research on their planetary namesakes.

Plopping down on an empty seat, she reached within her bag for the folder on the visiting scholar, only to freeze and almost upturned all its contents in her shock.

In her hurry to catch the subway, she had forgotten the folder.

And having been tired out by last night's events, her usually genius brain could only come up with a few mismatched details.

First, the visiting scholar was male, and would be collaborating closely with her on a molecular experiment she had received funding for during the previous month. It was almost a godsend, when words from the international council on molecular research and cancer prevention arrived that they would be working together. In fact, she was pretty sure it was his presence on the team that allowed the funding application to go through so smoothly.

Secondly, he was a Greek citizen, but had lived in the States for quite a time, quickly rising in the academic community as a star prodigy, earning the respect of colleagues many years his senior with his daring ideas and humble diligence.

Thirdly, she wasn't sure how to write the welcoming banner now that all she remembered about his full name was the initials, ZZ.

It wasn't entirely her fault, though. The scholar had a habit of signing only his initials and affiliated institution on his published papers, rather than his full name as was the norm in the community. Hardly anyone faulted him for it – on the other hand, they just chalked it up to an eccentricity they so often found in geniuses. He also had a habit of avoiding conferences, preferring to communicate via emails and, well, drafts or published papers.

_Kind of like the Angels' Charlie_, she thought to herself, amused as she recalled the TV shows – or was it a movie? – that Mina was so fond of.

But back to her current dilemma: she couldn't just write "Welcome ZZ" on the banner that was to be draped across the lab door.

For one thing, that phrase was too short, if compared to the banner she had bought.

* * *

><p>The blond man looked at the building in wonder. It was far grander than he had expected, and being the humble man he was, he was not quite sure if he would fit in with the community. Despite being a well-known scientist, he certainly hadn't expected the royal treatment, and here it seemed he was close to being treated like a king.<p>

_Maybe I'm overthinking it,_ he consoled himself. _Maybe they're just co-renting a facility and the other tenant's name is on the other side._

Resigning himself to his not-very-convincing conclusion, the blond man elected to take a walk around the building and toward the nearby park that he had caught a glimpse of on his way there.

After all, he got there _way_ too early, probably thanks to a certain flatmate. His bedside clock had screeched in his ears, indicating he was half an hour late to the reception, causing him to dash to the subway station as fast as his tired legs would carry him while others were still blissfully sleeping.

And it was only when he was aboard that he checked his watch.

He was _two hours early_.

Stretching his shoulders and grumbling to himself about missed sleep and paybacks, the blond man headed for the other side of the facility.

* * *

><p><em>A while after, back at the apartment building.<em>

_Mina, breakfast!

The insistent sound of a wooden ladle knocking in distance was the first thing the blonde could hear as she groggily dug herself out of the warm blanket.

She froze as her feet touched the ground, eyes widened. _This isn't my room!_

A quick glance at the lab coat in the corner relaxed her, as she realized the familiar blue colour of the wall, and her sleepy mind began to gather the reason she was where she was.

Then a delicious smell reached her nostrils, and Makoto's call from down the hall broke through the fog in her mind as she realized it was indeed way past time for breakfast.

Holding a hand to her grumbling stomach, she popped open the door and poked her head out.

_Coming, - her answer was cut short by a yawn.

The brunette turned, casting her a surprised glance.

_What are you doing in Ami's room?

_Catching up on sleep, - the blonde couldn't help another yawn as she walked toward her teammate and friend. I had the strangest feeling last night that Ami was in trouble...

_Was she?

Makoto asked sharply, and Mina smiled at the familiar mother hen reaction.

_Not quite. She was having a bad dream of some sort, and for some reason it woke me, and next thing I know, I was shaking her awake. Then she left for that reception and I was too tired to walk back.

The brunette grinned as her blonde friend yawned a third time.

_You mispronounced "lazy", Mina.

Mina stuck her tongue out at the taller woman, whose brows suddenly furrowed as she realized something was off with the story.

_Wait, do you mean you _heard_ her in her nightmare?

_No, - the blonde shook her head – I don't think she was screaming, at least not when I got there, or you would've come barging in as soon as I walked in and left the door open. I mean, your room is next to hers.

The brunette shook her head.

_I didn't hear anything. I know Ami sound-proofed the room, but she promised us it was not too thick, in case someone attempted forced entry.

_Yeah, I don't think that was it, - Mina looked puzzled as she pulled out a chair.

She remains lost in thought until a plate of scrambled eggs and sautéed vegetables were laid down in front of her, and the blonde inhaled that heavenly scent she had missed so much during her time in undercover.

_Thought you might want something other than miso soup, - Makoto grinned.

Mina smiled her thanks and picked up the fork, but not without a remark to the brunette's turned back:

_You ever feel like you just _have to_ be somewhere, Mako? I don't know how to explain it, but that strange pull woke me up and dragged me to Ami before I could comprehend what was going on.

_Must be one hell of a pull, - the remark rang out from the kitchen – to be able to wake you after all the running around you did last night.

_Hey! – Mina protested indignantly, but her voice was drowned out by another's squeal:

_HEY! You meanies didn't call me to breakfast?!

Makoto poked her head out of the kitchen:

_We haven't even started.

_STILL!

Mina smiled to herself as the usual banter commenced near the kitchen entrance.

She hadn't realized how much she missed Usagi and the others until she sat down at the dining table, with Makoto assuming the role of cooking as usual and the blonde leader bugging them for snacks.

Indeed, she was home.

* * *

><p><em>At the lab.<em>

The bluenette breathed a sigh of relief as the last banner was hung up near the building entrance. It was only fifteen to nine, and she had scrambled to get all the decorations in order, including settling on a welcoming phrase she deemed satisfactory.

She turned, ready for a cup of coffee in the break room as she suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve.

Ami turned around, the smile on her lips dying as soon as she recognized the familiar figure.

_Urawa-san, - she greeted calmly, her eyes colder than the man had ever seen before.

_Ami...

_I'd prefer you refer to me by my last name, if you don't mind, - she cut in, which was rather rude of her, but after what he had done, she felt the slip in courtesy was justified.

_Let's not do this, Ami – he pleaded with her as she broke into a slow stride.

_I'd prefer not to discuss my private affairs at the workplace, thank you, - she remarked in a detached voice, not even sparing him a second glance as she increased her speed.

Patience running thin, Urawa grabbed her arm as soon as they walked by a side door, and dragged her out to what, she discovered while trying to regain her balance, turned out to be the parking lot adjacent to the facility entrance.

_Let me go!

She snatched back her arm, and Urawa found himself cowering under the cold fury that emitted from her, a cold fury that for some reason, cast shiver down his spine, as if a wind gust just howled nearby.

_Listen to me!

_What is there to listen to? – she looked at him, determined to not show any emotion.

He had abused her trust, and it was her policy to not shed tears in front of those of that ilk, for she considered emotions were a weak point that one should never expose in front of those who had hurt her.

_She was just a temp fling, Ami – Urawa pleaded, and the bluenette found herself looking away from those eyes that once attracted her gaze.

_She was just a temp fling, Ami, - he insisted – I just needed an _outlet_... I... I still want to spend the rest of my life with you.

_Why would I want to spend the rest of my life with a liar?

She had stretched to her full height, and despite being a head taller than her, Urawa stepped back, startled at the cold anger clouding her blue eyes.

_I've picked up the rest of the story here and there, _Ryo_ – she hissed the name that she had once whispered with her eyes cast down and a blush on her cheeks – I have heard rumours, but I didn't want to believe it, because I did choose to trust you, not second guessing anything.

She made eye contact for the first time, and the man was startled into silence at the emotionless state of her normally twinkling blue orbs.

_I cooked for you because you said you liked it. I kept our relationship out of the workplace because I didn't want rumours here and there to cast doubts on you, to reflect on you in a bad light, since I am two years older and am your supervisor. I trusted you to be where you said you would be, to cancel on me when "a new idea comes up" that you somehow always forget about the next day, to...

She held back a sob. She will not cry. In front of this man, she would not cry.

_... to mean it when you say you love me.

Ami tore her gaze away. Her voice was strained, teetering on the verge of breaking down.

_It was all a lie, wasn't it?

_NO! – Urawa exploded, and before she could react, he had taken hold of her wrists and had her backed up against the wall.

The bluenette struggled to free herself, she had not anticipated such strength coming from an untrained civilian.

_I wasn't lying when I said I love you! I still do! She was just a temp fling, Ami, it means nothing! Please, Ami, look at me...

She blocked out his voice and her own bitter inner monologue. _Yeah, temporary enough to go on for half a year. Maybe if Motoki-kun hadn't known you and some other bartenders, I wouldn't have had to know the full extent of..._

She swallowed the tears that were about to flood her eyes, and focused on a way to free herself without revealing that she was _much more_ than just Ami Mizuno, head of the Tokyo molecular research facility and a physically fragile woman.

It would be very satisfying to roundkick him to the moon, but she had a feeling it wouldn't do much good for her cover, seeing how he knew she was never a martial arts practitioner.

In the middle of calculations, she was taken by complete surprise as Urawa forcefully jerked her chin up and crashed his lips down to her, mumbling something about proving his love to her with his touch.

She raised the one free hand in disgust and slapped him across the face, her eyes narrowing in a manner very unlike the usual her.

Before either of them could take any action, a familiar voice rang out and Urawa was jerked away from her.

_What the hell do you think you're doing in broad daylight, you creep?

_You?... – Urawa spat out, but quickly scrambled to his feet and disappeared around the corner.

_Are you okay? – the newcomer asked with concern as she continued to rub the non-existent pain on her hand, struggling to hold in her emotions.

Ami ignored the saviour as she fought against the words from flooding out with her tears...

... And failed.

She collapsed on the ground.

_Are you okay? Ami?

_I guess – she forced out, her voice cracking – everyone leaves me in the end...

She choked – on her words or her tears, she wasn't sure.

She felt the stranger poking her pinky finger in an awkward move meant to be comforting, and suddenly something shot through the fog of feelings that had been keeping her rational side under siege.

He had called _Ami_.

Her head shot up, and because he had been kneeling beside her and seemed to be taller than she was – gee, even Rei was taller than her – she hit him hard on the chin.

_OUCH – he yelped and attempted to jump backward, which wasn't the wise move considering he had been kneeling on the ground, and ended up tumbling, falling flat on his back.

She shot to her feet and hastily extended a hand toward her fallen saviour, only to jump backward herself in surprise.

_It's you?!

She took in his white lab coat and the stylish suit underneath at the same time that he looked her over, and both froze as their eyes came to focus on each other's name tags.

_... Doctor?

_Ami... _Mizuno_?

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**** There! I was going to finish this on New Year's Eve, but then I forgot – I think the only thing that gets done that day is last year.**

**Anyway, here we go, the interlude to all the fighting. If you're here just for the fighting... well, too bad. I want the characters to be fully fleshed out, rather than just fighting for a good cause. And I'm a slow updater, so there's that too.**

**Gotta run, though. This chapter may seem a bit rushed, because I have a midterm due tomorrow and I haven't started yet :( I'll update as soon as I get that out of the way.**

**My thanks to** EbonyMitsu**, my loyal beta-reader and reviewer (Happy belated New Year, Eb!)**, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo, wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting, princessKatAngela, WhiteInfinity21, Ice Phoenix Angel **and** an anonymous reviewer **for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**

**Until my next chapter,**

**Chrys.**

**PS: and the song is "Lost", by Within Temptation, one of my favourite bands.**


	11. Hide & Seek

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[**_**Hide & Seek**_**]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p>_Umm... would you like a hand?<p>

The bluenette said without making eye contact, keeping her gaze trained on a spot over her guest' shoulders as the blond man leaned against the wall, carefully picking the grass out of his white lab coat – _perhaps a little too focused in the task_, she thought to herself as she quickly stole a glance at him.

Being the hostess and the leading researcher, she had opted to break the silence out of courtesy, for neither of them had said a word after the initial shock wore off, embarrassed over the strange circumstance under which they became acquainted – and even more so, at the abrupt _parting_ they shared just last night.

_I don't know what possessed me to..._ Ami thought to herself, working hard to suppress the blush that was threatening to creep up her cheeks as she recalled her inexplicable physical contact with the blond man.

_I'm fine; thank you though – the usually talkative Zois spoke quickly as he patted down his suit for the last time and fixed the name tag, then turned toward the main entrance, gesturing by way of invitation:

_The reception starts in two minutes; shall we?

_Ah yes, of course – Ami quickly turned on her heels, prepared to lead the way when she suddenly recalled something far more worrisome.

_Excuse me... uh, _doctor_?

_Yes? – the blond man stopped in his track, but did not turn around.

_The person you just _scared away_... umm... I mean, the person who left as you arrived... he's my research assistant.

Uncomfortable silence ensued.

Finally, Zois slowly turned to face her, the blows he dealt Urawa yesterday evening at Motoki's bar still fresh on his mind.

_You mean... he will be part of the project?

Gulping slightly, Ami nodded.

* * *

><p><em>Later.<em>

Plopping down on the nearest lab chair, the bluenette tiredly rubbed her forehead, unsure as for how to proceed with the collaboration when two key members almost came to trading insults as soon as the other came into sight.

She couldn't just take Urawa off the project, she knew at least that much. It took nearly a year for the grant application to be completed, and to remove a participant out of the blue, in addition to the ridiculous amount of paperwork involved, would also spell trouble to the supervisory committee that was to evaluate the end result of the research. Feeler inspection trips would ensue, distractions would commence, and the funding only ran for a limited time frame.

There was also the problem that Urawa had actual potentials – he was a diamond in the rough waiting to be polished, to _shine_. She laughed a little bitterly, _she_ of all people should know, for she never dated anyone with whom she couldn't have an intelligent conversation with.

Not that she had been in the dating pool much anyway, which made the betrayal – expected shattering of trust when she finally decided to open up – even worse to bear.

She shook her head lightly, clearing her mind of personal thoughts. This was her lab, here was the project she had dreamed of working on her entire life, and she wouldn't let her personal affairs interfered.

How ironic, that it was a personal motive that drove her to embarking on this journey.

__Mom, where's dad?_

_Struggling with her small form to climb onto the hospital bed, the little girl shook her mother's hand slightly, voicing the question not above a whisper._

__Mom? Didn't dad hear you're hospitalized? If I were him I'd end his business trip right away and fly to your side... I mean, a year is too long to be away from home, don't you think?_

_The woman weakly brushed her daughter's hair, hesitating:_

__He..._

_She knew she wasn't well, nor was she _ever_ going to get well – the official diagnosis had returned – and she was torn. Part of her wanted to protect her daughter from the brutal reality that she had been hiding from her for over a year, protect her forever, until her last breath; and the other part of her knew, even as she held her daughter close, that better late than never. She herself didn't have much time left. Could she really bear to have another deliver the terrible news to her own flesh and blood?_

__Ami... – she gently lifted the little one's chin so blue eyes were on the same level as her own brown orbs, and felt herself a terrible person for the story she was going to tell._

_As the words left her, as slowly as her health permitted, she watched as the twinkle of innocence and trust left her daughter's eyes, and a veil of despair, disbelief, and denial took over._

_Together, they cried, tears reflecting off what little sunlight remained at the end of the day._

* * *

><p>It was the last time her mother held Ami as she cried, genuinely and quietly, like she did when she was a child and scraped her knee. The cancerous tumor did not even spare Doctor Mizuno, Tokyo's leading surgeon, enough time for her estranged husband to return from England, wrought with guilt over walking out on her a mere year before she collapsed and was hospitalized.<p>

Despite their long-held promise of lifelong commitment, their marriage had vanished slowly, like rocks being eroded under a constant stream, when they found each other more and more of a stranger as they became immersed in their personal pursuits. Before they had time to look away from their own busy lives to notice, their commonalities had evaporated like water under the desert sun. Suddenly, they didn't know where the person they had traded vows with had disappeared to.

__Honey, do you mind lending me a hand here? Ami tripped on the steps today, she's okay, but her uniform's dirtied. Throw it in the wash for me, please?_

__Just a moment, I'm in the middle of drawing, hon._

__Please – the voice rang from the kitchen like silver bells – it will take just a minute._

__If it's already dirty, it can wait._

__Mommy, - the little girl tugged on her mother's sleeve – I'm sorry, I need that uniform for school this afternoon..._

__It's okay, sweetie – the woman leaned down to give her a reassuring kiss on the cheek, but over daughter's shoulders, she couldn't help casting a resentful look at the painting room her husband was in._

* * *

><p>The bluenette absent-mindedly ruffled her own hair as she became lost in reminiscence.<p>

__You were never there, father – her eyes turned ice cold as she looked at the man nervously standing in front of her, blocking her view of her mother's grave._

__Yes... sweetie, I'm sorry. I tried, believe me Ami, I tried. It's just... it just turned out that we, me and your mother, we weren't such a good fit..._

__Not another word, father - she narrowed her eyes, and Mr Taylor was startled as he recognized just how much Ami resembled her late mother, whose surname she had adopted after he returned to his homeland without them, without notice, without even a goodbye._

__If you knew it wasn't going to last, why did you bother starting it? If you wanted a housewife, why did you marry her at all?_

_She was looking at him with those accusing eyes, boring into his soul, searching for something, anything amid the guilt that was overcrowding his mind, anything that could answer her question, the only question she had._

Why he left them_._

__Ami – he extended his arms, unsure of how to proceed. In that moment, he recognized just how much he hadn't known her, his daughter, his very own flesh and blood. Even though his wife was covered to her neck with medical case after case, late-night shift after late-night shift, she still found time to understand her daughter – _their _daughter – at least well enough to reassure her at any time, under any circumstance. He, on the other hand, was too immersed in the imaginary world that was his paintings. If his wife already did such a good job of raising Ami, he didn't know why he should get involved and _potentially_ messing things up in the process._

_He didn't knew then what he now knew as his daughter stood motionless, gaze levelled at him but not seeing him – he didn't knew then what he now knew, that parenthood, especially for first-time parents like him, involved a great deal of messing up; and it was the navigating of such messes together, as parent and child, that nurtured the bond._

_He hadn't _tried_ to learn... he thought being _there_ was just enough, but now he knew, that physical presence meant nothing if his mind wasn't there, in the present, holding his daughter's hand and bumbling toward fatherhood._

__Ami, - he started again, reaching for her hands, but the blue-haired woman shook her head as she turned away and broke into a run, running from him and out of his life... possibly, very likely... forever._

_He had always wanted to be left alone, left to his own device, to solitude, where no one could disturb him, no one could enter unless under his permission; he had always lived with a push and pull dynamic, in which he only gave attention if he _wanted_ to, living _without_ compromises, as he always sought to do, even after getting married._

_And as his only daughter tore around the corner and disappeared, he stood watching, frozen, realizing he had mistaken detachment for personal space._

* * *

><p>The blond man sighed to himself as he looked into the mirror, trying to make up his mind on whether or not he should talk to Ami.<p>

Instinctively, he knew that there was little chance for him to progress beyond a business partnership at that point. The bluenette didn't seem the type that would jump into a rebounding romance just to forget the previous disaster, no matter how the parting kiss last night could have led him to believe. Judging solely by her startled and hasty departure from the car he borrowed from Motoki, that brief moment of physical contact was more likely a primal, unconscious desire for revenge against the sorry excuse for a man she had been dating.

However, Zois couldn't simply ignore the familiar tug as he saw the cheating ex force himself on her. That pull was familiar, and not simply because it fitted his chivalrous spirit. No, that pull was familiar, for if he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he had come to her aid in such a situation before.

But that was impossible – they only just met yesterday.

* * *

><p>Ami leaned back on the lab chair, lightly twirling around as the caster wheels obediently turned, making little squeaky noises on the marble ground. It was only a month until the fifth anniversary of her mother's passing, and the molecular research she had started in remembrance already encountered an obstacle in the form of the noticeable animosity between Urawa and the newly arrived Zois.<p>

_Doctor_, she mentally amended, seeking to reinforce the business partnership aspect of their acquaintanceship. She wasn't so forgetful as to what transpired between them yesterday, but she wasn't willing to let it interfere with the project she had waited all her youth to start.

She made a mental note to ask Rei's advice on treading that particular boundary, for the raven-haired woman had to navigate similarly grey areas at her daytime job, what with all the rumours surrounding Usagi's breakup and Rei's decision to stay at her transfer position, working as personal assistant to Jadeite Jefferson, former business partner to Usagi's fiancé.

The bluenette smiled to herself as she recalled how she met the fiery teammate.

_She kept on running, paying no mind to whether or not someone was in pursuit. All she wanted was to get away... away from the person that was legally and biologically her father, but emotionally a stranger, a deserter, someone who not only wasn't there when those who mattered the most needed him the most, but was never even really there to begin with._

_Preoccupied as she was, she barely had enough time to stop before running straight into another figure walking quickly in the opposite direction; but still startled the other person enough for _her_ – it was a woman, she realized within seconds – to stumble backwards, and to Ami's suprise, she noticed the lady was trembling._

__I'm sorry, - she said hastily, sticking out a hand in a courteous movement – I didn't mean to..._

__I DON'T NEED YOUR GODDAMN CHARITY!_

_The bluenette stood frozen in shock – she had no idea a near miss had offended the woman so much, but surprise and slight comprehension quickly took over as she noticed the woman ripping a small device – a Bluetooth piece, she recognized – from her ear, throwing it on the ground and viciously crushed it under her heels._

_It was then that the woman noticed Ami's extended hand, and taking in her confused expression, she was quick to clarify:_

__I'm sorry, that wasn't meant for you, miss. I really should watch where I was going, but..._

_Without warning, the raven-haired woman slid down to the ground, and threw her arms around her own knees, evidently in an attempt to calm herself._

_Hesitantly, Ami sat down next to the stranger, and found to her surprise that she rather enjoyed the silence that ensued between them. There they were, two strangers sitting together as if they were the oldest of friends, and neither of them found it awkward._

_It felt... almost _natural_._

__I wish my mother was here, - they both spoke at the same time, inadvertently, in unison._

_They turned to look at each other, surprise evident on their faces._

_The raven-haired woman looked down, shaking her head._

__But she wouldn't be. She's very far away from me now._

__Mine is close by... – Ami found herself speaking – she's... her plot is on the other side._

_She felt the raven-haired woman staring at her as she herself looked up at the sky, long after she had finished her sentence, and she was startled as her unlikely companion finally spoke:_

__Would you like to see my mother? She... _hers_ is just around the corner._

_Blue looked into black, and the bluenette took up her new acquaintance's strange offer._

__I'm Ami, by the way – she stood up, speaking to the raven-haired woman's turned back._

__Call me Rei – came the answer._

* * *

><p>A knock on the door broke Ami's reverie.<p>

Glancing up briefly, she recognized the blonde hair peeking over the door's glass window, and taking a deep breath, she called out to her visitor:

_Please come in.

Zois poked his head in first, then cautiously cracked the door open enough to slide through.

_... Er – he stole a quick glance at her – hi.

_How can I help you, doctor?

Ami kept her voice neutral, choosing to look at him as she would a new patient.

He fidgeted nervously.

_Do you mind talking to me a little?

_We _are_ conversing, doctor.

He didn't miss the sarcastic undertone.

_You're much more fun when you aren't sarcastic, - he pouted, and Ami couldn't suppress a giggle.

_Ah – Zois noted with noticeable relief – now you're laughing.

_It's called giggling, doctor – she shrugged – and by the way, your pout complements your feminine hairdo quite well.

_I am NOT feminine! – he protested, stomping his feet, and this time the bluenette laughed out loud at the renowned science prodigy's comical expression.

_And can you just call me Zois? – seizing the opportunity, he spoke up to a relaxed her, and immediately regretted it as all traces of humour disappeared from her face like a glass of water poured out on desert sand.

_Just like before_, he thought to himself, _despite the surges,_ _she has remarkable control over her emotions, be it tears or laughter_.

_I'm afraid not, doctor – she shook her head, avoiding his gaze – we have a professional code of conduct that...

Zois waved his hand emphatically, cutting her off mid-sentence:

_Please, do me that favour. _Doctor_... really, I always get caught off-guard whenever I hear someone refer to me by that. I'm really uncomfortable with the use of titles, and then there was that thing yesterday, when I drove you back and you ditched the car midway, and then that encounter earlier, and then that guy whatshisname almost taking a swing at me as soon as he saw me, and after that you introduce the research team and I almost fall over when I realize I have to work with him too _of all people_...

_Okay, okay – Ami put her hands up in the air, returning the courtesy by cutting him off mid-sentence – I can just call you ZZ, doctor. I'm not comfortable with the first-name basis just yet, you understand.

_Ah, I was just going to talk to you about that...

Again, the blond man fidgeted nervously, and before she could speak up, he blurted out:

_Whatever happened yesterday stays there, but can I just call you Ami anyway?

The bluenette stared at him for what seemed to be an impossibly long time before a small smile broke out on her face.

_Sure.

_So – he hesitantly took a few steps toward her, sticking out his hand – friends?

Ami laughed, shaking his hand.

_Friends.

Inwardly, unconsciously, even as they didn't realize it, they both found a twinge of something familiar, yet faraway and almost nostalgic, as their hands touched and the word "friends" sounded in the air.

* * *

><p><em>At the apartment complex.<em>

_I'm heading over to Haruka's.

Unceremoniously dumping the empty plates into the sink, the brunette announced from inside the kitchen, and Usagi only nodded a brief approval before heading outside the door to her day job.

_Why? – Mina piped up from the couch, switching from channel to channel under the pretense of staving off boredom. In truth, she was rather enjoying the boredom aspect of it, for it was a much-welcomed break from the current case.

_And the shipment is in less than two days_, she thought to herself and turned back to the TV, determined to banish any memories about Ace to the farthest corner of her mind.

_She hasn't responded to my call yesterday asking about our little _tail_.

_Tail... oh – the blonde nodded, turning back to her program with a wave over the couch.

_You can get groceries too, Mako-chan, - she added after a moment – all we have left now is snack.

_And whose fault is that? – the brunette called over her shoulder, and got a soft "boo" for her rhetorical question.

Mina was about to reach for a new packet of chips when her phone rang from inside her room.

_Coming, coming, - she leaped off the couch, grumbling a little along the way as she made her way into her bedroom and started searching for the device, which by that point had stopped making any sound.

_Ha! – she triumphantly emerged from the floor, dropping her clothes back into the mess she hadn't bothered to clean up after last night, and narrowly missed hitting her head on the knob of the night stand nearby.

Plopping back on the couch, she unlocked her phone with curiosity. Very few had this number, and if her teammates needed anything, they wouldn't have bothered with a text.

Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the displayed name and message.

"Hi. Just thought I'd say good morning."

_I didn't know Kale was a texter, - she remarked to herself as she quickly typed in a reply.

* * *

><p><em>Undisclosed location.<em>

_There, that wasn't so difficult, - the auburn-haired man shrugged, tossing the phone back to the silver-haired man nearby, who glanced over the sent text and sighed, obviously with discomfort.

_Yeah... that sounds _kind of_ like me. Kind of.

_Don't take it too personal, Kunzite – the black-haired man shook his head before throwing on his suit jacket – You just need to get to know her, _not_ fall in love with her or anything your stereotypical 007 would do in that case.

_Can't you just call me by name, _chief_ – the silver-haired man shook his head, a little irritated – I'm off duty, after all.

_Sure, if you call me by mine.

With that, the black-haired man waved his parting and left through a side door. Ten minutes later, the auburn-haired man followed, mumbling something about hating first days at new workplaces.

The phone buzzed her response.

"Good morning K".

"K?"

"I was too lazy to type out your name".

"I thought you forgot mine".

"I just might. But my phone won't. Well, unless you dunk it in water and put the SIM card in a blender, I guess."

"Where did that come from?"

* * *

><p>In the penthouse's living room, Mina smiled to herself as she imagined the silver-haired cab driver smiling indulgently at her outrageous ideas.<p>

* * *

><p>"From me, duh."<p>

Unconsciously, Kunzite tightened his grip on the phone as he awaited her response. He knew that sooner or later, the conversation would turn into pointless chatter, as it did last night when there were only them in his car.

__Nice car._

__Thanks, V – the silver-haired man smiled, and after a moment, gestured toward the unopened coffee can._

__Care to help me with that?_

__You mean – the blonde took hold of the can – you never learned to open a can while driving?_

__I prefer to stay alive or at least keep my license – he commented with a straight face, his eyes trained on the road, but couldn't help a small smile as she burst out laughing._

_He decided then that he rather liked her smiles._

_As soon as the thought passed his mind, agent Kunzite smacked himself mentally._

* * *

><p>"Do you have work today?" came the next text before he could reply to the previous one.<p>

"I'm off today, V."

A few minutes later.

"Why do you ask?"

"Can't I ask a question?"

"Right back at you."

Mina grinned at her phone, realizing she was enjoying the pointless banter.

As soon as the emotion was acknowledged, Venus smacked herself mentally.

She still hadn't looked up the taxi driver in the numerous databases Mercury made accessible to the team, nor had she been able to place the feeling of familiarity that seemed to spark whenever she made eye contact with the silver-haired man who called himself "Kale" while living and earning a living in a country in East _Asia_.

* * *

><p>"You know what would be fun to do on your day off?"<p>

"What would that be?"

"Go watch a movie! I bet you don't have that much time watching movies, do you?"

Kunzite froze.

_She couldn't be..._

"Oh, did your friends complain about the beer?"

"Ah, no, they just tell me to thank whoever that was that reminded me."

":) so, I know this great movie, quite possibly the best movies ever made, and I know just the way to see it too"

* * *

><p>"How so?"<p>

Kunzite waited with baited breath. He had managed to avoid going into details about his conversation with their subject during debriefing yesterday – _it was all pointless chit chat anyway_, he reassured himself, willfully ignoring the fact that he was never once for pointless chit chat, with a stranger he had only known through case files no less – but the silver-haired man didn't think a _date_ with the subject would have gone over well with his team.

"Easy! But do you have Internet access? It's on this great website my friends told me about :)"

Kunzite sighed with relief, keying back a "yes, just a minute" as he reached for his laptop on the opposite chair. The light had turned green, so that battery should last enough for a movie.

He froze again in mid-reach.

V, or Mina Voxley as she was known in his case files, wasn't with him. He could easily pretend to be watching whatever she was suggesting while actually working on the case.

_Right, get to know her, become somewhat friends, - he thought to himself, ignoring the protests from his rational side.

After all, a serial killer's former lover and partner, no matter how endearing, like a leopard, couldn't change its spots.

Or... _can she_?

* * *

><p>The blonde smiled a secretive sort of smile as she directed Ken to the website and instructed him on how to complete the search.<p>

_Clueless about computers, eh? – she stretched on the couch – Well, that's the first clue on you, which can either be right or wrong, depending on your performance, right Kale-kun?

* * *

><p><em>Elsewhere.<em>

Copper-chan's head snapped up as she heard the unmistakable sound of a key being turned in the lock.

_Here we go_, she thought to herself, slightly surprised at her own nonchalance.

She had lost track of time, the only thing she had left, and she could feel her sanity fading as the light dimmed and brightened a patch of the ground, glinting from high above.

And she knew there was no escape.

She closed her eyes, ready to accept whatever – or whoever – that was coming.

The footsteps were coming closer, and a little heavy, a little mismatched, she noticed, as if the person had trouble walking on his or her own legs.

She opened her eyes a crack, and recognized the familiar hair colour of silver, she blanched.

Something was off, though.

Noises were coming outside, approaching, the noisiest Copper-chan had heard in that hellhole in the middle of nowhere. There was shouting, and moments later, as she felt strands of hair tickling her arm, on her right, around the handcuffs, and before she could make out anything but silver hair, she was shoved violently from the front, and the sensation disappeared.

Copper-chan tried to make sense of what was happening, but all she could make out in the darkness was someone with silver hair past the shoulders being led away.

_Past the shoulders_...

Copper-chan realized with a start.

_Past the shoulders_... but her kidnapper back then had _short_ silver hair.

Knowing it was futile, but preferring to hold on to the fragile rather than a free fall into hopeless darkness, the copper-haired girl kept her tired eyes trained on the now-closed door, waiting again for what she was sure was a rescue attempt.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**** Here we go, more interlude to all the fighting. It's a little sad for this chapter, I admit. If you're here just for the fighting... well, too bad. I want the characters to be fully fleshed out, rather than just fighting for a good cause. And I'm a slow updater, so there's that too.**

**We're getting a quick update this time 'cause I just got my mid-year marks and I'm happy with them. Next chapter will have fighting... I think. Clear it with my plot bunnies first.**

**My thanks to** EbonyMitsu**, my loyal beta-reader and reviewer (I'm glad there's no mistake too, Eb :) and hey, we survived the predicted apocalypse! Cheers?)**, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo, wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting, princessKatAngela, WhiteInfinity21, Ice Phoenix Angel **and** an anonymous reviewer **for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**

**Until my next chapter,**

**Chrys.**


	12. Past

**NIGHT TRAVELER**

**[**_**Past**_**]**

~a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~

* * *

><p><em> Location undisclosed.<em>

_He could feel it. The slight breeze that tousled her hair, drawing his discreet glance every so often, while she stood in her respective position, unassuming of his gaze, her attention fully devoted to the duty assigned. The waft of perfume, a sweet yet alluring scent that reminded him of a cool summer night, with those annoying singing bugs she called 'cicadas' – dear Selene, how many times had she repeated the word so he could mimic the sound, how patient she was with a stranger suddenly pushed into her world, how caring – reached his nostrils, and unconsciously he slowly inhaled, savouring every moment before the bell again made its announcement of her departure._

_He could hear it. The comforting sound of her voice, the silvery laughter that bubbled from her at his sarcastic commentary on the hassle of royal formalities, the silence – the silence that sounded the tune of things to come, things in the making, things that could have been, things that might become... and with anxiety, his heart ached._

_He could see it. As abrupt as it came, the rain stopped, the sky cleared again, leaving them soaked from head to toe in their black tie attire, and she offered him a shy smile, apologizing for the rather awkward situation that neither of them had control over, while he struggled to find words, at a loss at how to address the unfamiliar desire rising within him at the sight of her usually modest dress accentuating every curve of her body._

_As abrupt as it left, a cluster of dark clouds began to spread all over the blue sky, and again it started pouring, but to his horror, what he felt trickling through his hair at this time was no water._

_He stood frozen in a silent scream, watching, helpless, as the strange reddish black liquid began to ooze from the now-black sky at lightning speed, dripping on him, on her, on everything around them... Wherever the liquid flowed, flowers withered, grass turned grey, and the fertile ground became a wasteland in the blink of an eye – maybe even less? – covered in black ice, frozen, unfeeling, forever damaged._

_And it burned._

_He stood frozen in a silent scream, all abilities to communicate seemingly ripped from his body in a matter of seconds, as the liquid burned away his senses at the same time that it charred his flesh, rendering him helpless, watching, as the woman before him spoke._

_It was not a cry for help, not a plea for mercy, no; in a time of lethal danger to herself, what came out of her mouth was a cry for battle, for her _protégés_ to move forward and prove themselves superior to their teacher. The liquid must have burned her as it had burned him, charred her as it had charred him, stolen her senses, her ability to communicate as it had robbed from him; and yet there she stood, shouting a wordless cry for battle that only her prodigies could hear, and which they alone could heed._

_And earth suddenly became a lot closer to what was left of his face. He had collapsed from the strain._

_And he watched her fall._

_And as she fell, forever burned into his mind was the defiant smile on her lips, and all that ran through his mind was that he had never seen her more beautiful, more genuine, truer to her nature than that very moment._

_And as a black twister tore down from the sky, as she hit the ground smiling, as the world slowly faded to black, all he could feel running through his mind, through his broken body, through the heart he could no longer hear beating... was no pain, no agony..._

_No, it was a sense of heart-wrenching, soul-sucking regret..._

_That he hadn't told her he loved her._

He awoke to soulless laughter and agonizing pain, feeling the salty water _they_ just dumped on him greedily eating into every inch of cut-open flesh, his eyes struggling to adjust to the stark contrast between the dangling beam of light directly above his head and the absolute darkness of his surroundings, his worn-out mind racing to determine just where he was.

_... I remember... – he whispered to no one in particular, feeling a sharp pang of pain on his forehead.

Before his mind could register the feeling, something else washed over him – something that was definitely not physical in nature, yet repulsed him to the core, and he jerked against his bonds helplessly, trying to get away from the disturbing force probing his thoughts. But all was futile – like Nephrite always teased, he was no good for a battle waged in the mysterious depths of the mind...

_What the... what the hell was that? – he exclaimed out loud. _And what a funny name_, he thought to himself. _Nep... wait, what was it again?_

The dark influence had certainly worked its magic.

_What was what, my dear friend?

From within the darkness came a taunting voice, and the tied-up man gritted his teeth in disgust as a hand appeared next to him, brushing aside the shoulder-length silver hair that was partially blocking his vision, at the same time that a sultry voice exhaled into his ears.

_Relax, wouldn't you, dearest? It'll make it easier.

_Get away from me you freak, - he spat, and continued to glare at the woman next to him, unflinchingly, even as he felt a new wound opened somewhere near his left ear and blood trickling down that side of his face.

_Now, now, that wasn't very nice, - she chided, still in that sultry voice, but there was something darker, more sinister lurking inside, something that made his hair stand on ends, that which none of her antics had ever managed.

_Yeah, well I don't have to be nice, - he snapped – I'm telling you people, I've got nobody out there, I'm a loner, a dirt-poor bachelor, ya hear me?

_Yes, we heard.

Footsteps were getting closer at the same time that the voice reached him. The hidden speaker was approaching, but slowing pace intentionally, as if to taunt him further, for it did not matter if he liked or even tolerated what he was hearing, he had no way out of it other than helplessly listening.

_Then why don't you let me go? I can guarantee you even if I walked free, no one would believe my story, not even the most gullible traffic cop looking for a career break!

_There's that long-winded speech, - a dark chuckle echoed in his ears – There's the negotiator we were looking for.

_What negotiator? I'm telling you you've got the wrong person!

_And we're telling you we've got the right one.

There was that sultry voice again, whispering into his ears, and he shuddered, not in fear, but in disgust; not in disgust at her specifically, but instinctively, at what she represented... what she _embodied_ – what he _sensed_ at a primal level, within the depths of his mind, where no darkness could ever reach.

_I've gotta say, _that_ was pretty impressive, - the other voice continued in the same taunting vein – Not only did you manage to break free of your bonds, you also found our little new prize and attempted to, ah, _ressss-cue_ her.

For some reason, he grew infuriated at the drawled-out enunciation, and yet at the same time remained utterly confused.

_Free of... what? Ever since you people took me here I hadn't even taken a goddamn leak!

Amused laughter broke out again, this time with a mix of sadistic satisfaction.

_Ah yes, of course – the hidden speaker finally stepped into the light, a cold smirk adorned his face, one that could have been quite handsome with the short silver hair, but instead reflected the hopeless, heartless, and sinister darkness of the room they held him in.

_Of course, - Voxley/Ace continued – that was the whole point, wasn't it?

_The whole point of what? What the hell are you on about? – he yelled back in frustration.

_Oh, you'll find out soon, when _she_ joins you, - Ace shrugged, but a predatory gleam shone in his eyes. With a flick of Ace's finger, the captive felt the seductive presence next to him leave, her hair intentionally brushing his arm, and a wave of nausea hit him at the contact.

_Sure you will – the sultry voice chimed in – Just be patient, dearest Artemis.

_I'm telling you my name is Artie, not whatever that was you people kept calling me!

_Oh, you're adorable, - the woman laughed humourlessly as she shut the door and turned to fix her makeup in the nearby mirror, letting Ace key in a new combination for the lock.

_A little off-course, - the silver-haired psychopath commented as he fiddled with the code – but all's well that ends well, eh?

_The key is that he forgets, - tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Beryl answered, locking eyes with Ace via the mirror, her eyes burning the colour of blood.

_Right – Ace straightened, approaching her with a mysterious smile – _Forget_.

And with the well-honed skill of a pickpocket-turned-hitman, he slipped an onyx bracelet off her right wrist – one adorned with red slights of ruby, created in the likelihood of blood splatter; and within seconds Beryl's eyes returned to its normal icy-blue colour.

_Do you really have to debrief both of us after every mission, - complained the redhead as she turned to leave, glancing at her partner-in-crime over her shoulder with mild annoyance.

_Why call it such a formal name, Beryl dear, - Ace purred as he sped up a little to walk alongside her down the narrowed hallway – and yes, I do have to debrief both of us after every _kill_.

* * *

><p><em> Undisclosed HQ.<em>

"Soooooo?"

Kunzite couldn't help a chuckle at what he imagined to be a drawn-out question, said in a lazy voice, had V been with him in person. She was again texting him, seeking his thoughts on the movie they just watched "together" – that is, by accessing the same website at the same time based on her instructions – and what's more, her inquiry was delivered in a most endearing, hauntingly familiar manner.

"Charm's quite the killer", the silver-haired agent caught himself mid-thought and glanced back at the corner of the room, where a monstrous pile of case files lay on his desk.

"It was an excellent movie, V. Thank you for the introduction", he exhaled the breath he didn't know he had been holding, and hit "Send" on his phone.

No matter how charming V appeared, he mustn't lose sight of his main objective – the very task that had sent him undercover as a taxi driver who "by chance" picked up Mina Voxley, the only lead they have to a serial killer thought to have been wiped off the face of the earth long ago.

* * *

><p><em> Back at the apartment complex.<em>

_I should have paid more attention when Ami showed me how to use that background check hack whatever thingy, - Mina grumbled to the empty kitchen as she poured herself some morning coffee. Sometimes it frightened her, or rather, the lone wolf sleeping within her, to see just how tightly knit her team was, just how much they depended on one another's performance and loyalty to survive in the private-eyes-for-hire underworld.

_But that's how it works_, the blonde thought to herself as she returned to the living room. If she couldn't trust her teammates to at least have her back, she wouldn't be able to trust anyone else.

Not that she does trust anyone outside them, anyway.

Her phone gave off a short vibration, signaling that the taxi driver had answered her text from before. She had meant for it to be endearing, the way it had always been whenever she needed to reel in some big fish. Only this time it hadn't been pre-approved by Usagi.

Determined to find out more about this Kale person, she had decided on _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_, one of her favourite movies, as a way to test the new opponent. It wasn't terribly tricky to guess who the mole was, nor did the movie involve heavy fireworks like a Michael Bay, and Mina had to admit she rather enjoyed old lady Connie Sachs' not-so-subtle innuendos. At least if she was going to gauge his familiarity with intel services, he might as well get some enjoyment out of the process.

Mina blinked, frozen in the track of her thoughts. _Who cares if he actually enjoys the movie?_ It was meant to be a tester move, not a...

She shook her head, refocusing on the newly received text in front of her, ignoring the fact that watching a movie together the way she and Kale did, online, seemed an awful lot like a long-distance date.

If fishing via text didn't yield any result, she might as well look him up later on the taxi company's database. After all, her hacking was getting rusty.

* * *

><p><em> Elsewhere.<em>

An auburn-haired man made his way down the narrow hallway, mulling over the CEO's words from a couple of nights back at the LA-based nightclub, before he departed for the new job located in his home country in East Asia. He had expected a full panel interview in one of those reservable VIP rooms, but instead was handed a pre-filled contract, then pulled into a private meeting with the company's head honcho himself.

__Officially, this is just a simple meet-and-greet. Unofficially, this never happened._

_Nephrite blinked at the black suit in front of him._

__Pardon?_

__You heard me perfectly clear, I'm sure – the man shrugged, taking a sip from the wine glass in front of him. Please, make yourself comfortable. I do require your service in a manner not specified in that contract you just signed... _Lightning_._

_The auburn-haired man was instantly on guard. Black suit guy had used his nickname from within the force, one known exclusively to his crew, attached exclusively to his nighttime occupation and true calling._

__Please, don't be alarmed. I've spoken to your chief. Sound travels faster than sight, lightning arrives before thunder, but after the information superhighway, isn't that right?_

_Nephrite relaxed slightly, recognizing the code phrase reserved for those who sought the Earth Alliance's missing-person investigation services. Still, he figured he must tread lightly, for it could be a trap from a competitor, if not someone from the opposite side of the law._

__I'm going straight to the topic, - black suit guy continued – Officially, you're joining my corporation as an entry-level accountant. Unofficially, your crew will assist me, per the terms your chief has set, in investigating the disappearance of the previous one._

__Well, isn't that comforting, - the auburn-haired man dryly noted – If I may ask, however, why is it that the disappearance of an entry-level accountant interests the head honcho?_

__He's a dear friend, - a faraway look appeared in black suit's eyes and lingered for a few seconds, replaced soon afterwards by a flash of suppressed anger – and a veteran in the finance field, who was helping me out with some basic stuff until he stumbled upon "a rookie's mistake", as he called it. It would seem, from what little he told me over the phone, that someone was using the Japan-based branch of my corporation to wash their dirty laundry._

"_Money-laundering", Nephrite thought to himself, "how interesting. This coincides with our current investigation... no wonder Chief took it"._

__A few hours before he was supposed to fly here for an in-person report – black suit guy continued – someone set off a false fire alarm in his apartment complex. Roughly the same time, a restaurant nearby reports a series of food poisoning, none of which were life-threatening, but the ensuing chaos prevented him from taking the train on time to the airport. He ended up in a cab instead, and went missing the moment he left the building lobby._

__And it couldn't be a simple ransom case, correct? – the auburn-haired man looked black suit dead in the eye, seeking any reaction at all to the proposed reason. Sometimes partnership or even friendship might just go south, despite previous harmony – a fact of life he had known all too well by experience._

__No, I and your chief have considered it, - black suit guy shook his head – No captor ever held captives that long for ransom – it's been three weeks – and despite our little-known friendship, he was well-known as a loner with little assets._

__No lover, no wife, no kids, then, I take it – Nephrite shrugged – Less questions to answer._

__Yes, even though I've had my fair share in playing matchmaker for him – black suit guy gave a slight chuckle – He's a die-hard romantic. Always said his special lady would stumble into his life someday. Please, - his gaze softened – bring my friend home._

_Black suit guy slid a file across the table. Taped to the front was a profile picture of a man with silver shoulder-length hair, making it much more challenging to estimate his age at first sight._

__Artie Anderson, - the CEO said with an air of finality that indicated to Nephrite their little briefing was over – The rest of the file is with your chief._

"What I wouldn't give to bet that those two used to be deployed together," the auburn-haired man thought to himself before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door labelled "Accounting Office".

* * *

><p>a~b~c~d~e~f~g~h~i~j~k~l~m~n~o~p~q~r~s~t~u~v~w~x~y~z~<p>

**A/N:**** Hey, everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for so long, and sorry for this shorter-than-usual chapter. I've been going nuts prepping for graduation, then grad school and moving and all that stuff, and I guess somewhere along the way my plot bunnies got tired of jumping atop my head and being ignored all the time.**

**By the way, I'm changing Kunzite's civilian name to Kale - Kale Diurn, as I've borrowed from Beloved Dawn's "Amnesia" fic with her permission. Sorry for any confusion!**

**My thanks to** EbonyMitsu**, my loyal beta-reader and reviewer (remember Artemis, Mina's guardian has silver hair too, Eb!)**, Pinka, Whitewolf513, luckyduck8801, MennaHennah, Djbriel, KaiPhoenix, RaigingSpring, Oky Verlo, wingsofseyfert12, Essie123, Sirona, Raiging Spring, , luckyduck8801, Vchanny, Fortune Maiden, Shadowfey913, mistressinwaiting, princessKatAngela, WhiteInfinity21, Ice Phoenix Angel, , Blacky Kitten **and** an anonymous reviewer **for their patience and time in following my stories. To everyone else, thanks for reading as well.**

**Until my next chapter,**

**Chrys.**


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